• Experimentation laden
• Continuous and unabridged mix
• Armed to teeth with striking elements
The chilly weather may have settled by this time now, and there’s nothing better than grooving to shuffling Dance music to warm-up. There is no dearth of it, but dynamic Canadian native Shaun Frank just unveiled a series of hard-hitting House productions, catching our attention almost immediately. Published on the esteemed Musical Freedom, this quartet of rhythmic bops have for sure brightened our otherwise cold Friday.
Readers would perchance remember the talented creator from his earlier endeavours in Spinnin’ Records. For his reputed synergy “Shades Of Grey” with Dutch heavyweight Oliver Heldens and renowned vocalist Delaney Jane, the Toronto based musician earned heavy acclaim throughout the Dance industry. Frank remains a strong example of successfully transforming into an exemplar EDM act, with his all-rounder discography proving his nimble-fingered approach in music production.
Talking about the EP, the alpha-numerically titled “Activ8” (or, Activate) has a total of four tracks, each emanating their unique personal characteristics in the list. The motif, or modus operandi as one could say, is an underground style of House music which facilitates overnight raves. Musical Freedom has ardently chosen to promote this genre, probably because of its recent explosion in American Dance charts.
Onto this meticulous collection, we start with “Higher State”, which starts with a rather funky and ricochet-ing pluck synth. Adding to that is the bulky and off-beat Psy-Trance-ish bassline (Tech-y one might term), which forms the base for it. Crossfading out to “Don’t Tell The Bank”, the one hit of sub-bass notes and pitched down male vocal leads the build-up to the impending drop. Chiming and siren-like synths meet the ears, associated with the minimal form of the bass. Next, we hop on to “Pass The Aux”, which gradually hovers on the slightly distorted synth
until they unleash with a rigorous tone, only after an abrupt digital glitch. Laden with FXs like lazer shots and risers, the beat gets well-supplemented throughout. As a final act, we finally get to “Activate”, which kickstarts with a low-end, reminiscing us that of a Melbourne Bounce. Yet another heavily equipped creation, not running dry on any instance!
As our final thought, “Activ8” shines on many aspects with commendable composition quality to the refreshing twists, making it an instant favourite upon first listen.
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