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Vikstrom & G4BBA – Old Fellas

September 24, 20203 min read


Intense (but mundane) drop
Dirty Dutch structure reworked in an experimental strategy
2015 nostalgic Big Room vibes


Ah yes, the friendly neighborhood genre of Big Room is back again in discussion. I must admit that my interest in this came solely because of Nik Cooper’s artwork. The genre hasn’t been my first preference, but the “love-hate” relationship on this specific production has been strange, knowing my earlier thoughts about the style. These artists are relatively new to me, with the exception that I happen to know G4BBA is Mexican. Introductions apart, let us see what “Old Fellas” has in store for us.

The first impression was not a great one. Having a vocal snippet which heavily reminded me of Fatman Scoop or Sanjin, this variety has been used way too much on Tribal-oriented Electro House works. In addition, this familiar sample has been adopted in “8Fifty“, a famous collab between Hardwell and Thomas Newson. This renders my experience slightly annoying to bear, as the lingering dead spirit of its experimenting potential leads to the unwanted failure in this composition from the get-go.

Coming in with a gusto, the drop projects itself hollow even if surrounded with a megalith of a kickdrum and non-stop rhythm, ending up repetitive. There is very less to talk about the sound selection, as it limits itself to genre trademarks. And when I mentioned the dilemma I had, I am referring to the Techno-ish tonality present in this segment, which is experimental enough to be credited. The effort to rework Dutch House is appreciable to some extent, but ultimately tiring to the ears because of the genre’s boundaries.

Now, as if reviving the energy, “Old Fellas” settles with hi-hat rhythm to give a Tech-fused sensation, advancing towards an energetic build-up. This perfectly adjoins the earlier version of the drop, even if oriented towards Big Room.

Clichés and monotonous arrangements apart, there are undeniably enjoyable moments in the composition. Even if the traditional approach means “Old Fellas” could go under the radar and be missed, the artists involved have done a worth-mentioning job. Hopefully, there are better instrumentals awaiting from this once leading genre which would change my views toward it.

You can listen to “Old Fellas” here:

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