This one caught me by surprise. Martin Garrix, with all his successful ideas and commercial hits, decided to drop a club-oriented album? “Sentio” which stands for ‘perceive, feel, experience‘, is a collection of 11 collaborations between the Dutch star and several other big names. There are two things I didn’t like here: the choice of releasing a song every week, killing the concept of “Sentio” as an album, but just a group of singles, and the decision of having only a solo release (feat Shaun Farrugia).
Yet, the experience has been greatly positive, I had much fun with almost all the songs involved! It’s clear that Martin wanted to make a memorable offering. He managed finally, to impress with a sequence of hits, exiting his comfort zone with class and courage.
Follow ft. Zedd
80/100
Insane sound design over a dirty lead, hard drums, and following Garrix’s classic melodic structure: the right way to start ‘Sentio’! The breakdown features a delicate vocal and builds up to the climax with efficiency, where I felt Zedd’s involvement in the team-up. “Follow” is a decent synergy, exactly what I was hoping for from these leading names.
Limitless ft. Mesto
65/100
Longtime friends, Mesto and Martin, when together, aren’t easy to predict. “Limitless” didn’t convince me, as its drop lacks the same enthusiasm… Yet, that buildup reminded me of the pre-Animals Garrix works in an adorable way. It’s clear that this was fun-intended and exclusive of their comfort zones, and I appreciate that even if musically speaking I’m tempted to skip “Limitless”.
Reboot ft. Vluarr
73/100
Bringing Vluarr one of the latest STMPD’s addictions, I was curious about this ‘promotion’. Somehow, the duo paired well, mixing Martin’s melodic trademark with this flute-dominated Bass House. The outcome is delicate, not exactly something I’ll dance though, but elegant… The vocal chops are fascinating as well. I would recommend listening to ‘Reboot’ more than once for a better understanding of its concept and construct.
Quantum ft. Brooks
87/100
Brooks has remained slightly off my radars since his style hasn’t evolved much, but oh gosh does this one slaps. I’ve been waiting for “Quantum” since the UMF premiere: the duo nailed the melody, and Brooks’s formula does the rest of the job. Who cares if it’s been the same idea since 2015, I loved this energy.
Good Morning ft. Matisse & Sadko
72/100
Finally, some darker vibes after the several Progressive House release from the successful trio! “Good Morning” woke my senses up with a brutal lead that dominates its aura, suddenly breaking the climax elevated from a painfully slow structure. They played a risky game with the buildup, which gets mundanely linear and repetitive, yet it’s difficult to let “Good Morning” and its glitchy atmosphere go away.
Starlight (Keep Me Afloat) ft. DubVision and Shaun Farrugia
82/100
Well, that’s top-notch Progressive, and I’m not even bored by the classic, overused formula! Excellent vocal, Dubvision’s unbeatable quality touch, and some energetic basslines make “Starlight” a polished, shiny piece of EDM representing the pinnacle of quality sound design in the genre. Nothing new, so don’t be too excited! Nonetheless, that’s what I expect from the bests of the best. Quality (and passion. Saw it!).
Funk ft. Julian Jordan
58/100
Considering how Julian Jordan is reinventing Bass House, I was expecting something more. “Funk” isn’t convincing enough, and it’s not even rhythmic enough. A creative, orchestral buildup tries to spice things up, but slacks in the energy during the process and delivers… too much minimalism. There’s potential in the experimental drop, with bouncing percussions and Julian’s lead; it’s just too soon, and Garrix isn’t a proper fit.
Oxygen ft. DubVision and Jordan Grace
79/100
It’s basically a parallel to “Starlight”, adhering to the Dubvision formula… I don’t really see why to waste such a good tune by inserting it in the same album with another nearly similar tune. I prefer the melody lesser, and as for the rest, it’s a modest design and yada yada. Slightly more energetic buildup, it’s clear that Martin focused more on “Oxygen”.
Aurora ft. Blinders
85/100
I would have liked something more experimental from the glitchier style of Blinders, “Aurora” certainly sounds more Garrix, almost to a point that I would state an 80/20 ratio. Lovely orchestral breakdown, a simpler melody that gets stuck in the head and an energetic Progressive drop, with some personality thanks to its aggressive bassline. That’s the kind of Progressive I’m expecting from these esteemed figures. Striking banger with stunning sound design.
Find You ft. Justin Mylo & Dewain Whitmore
85/100
Best vocal featured in “Sentio” (and it wasn’t easy), what a performance! Dewain Whitmore dominates this amazing Progressive piece, where Martin overperformed again with a classy approach: his drop enters aggressively into the scene, surprising the listener with a powerful melody. I don’t see Justin Mylo anywhere here, since it’s not Future House, but it’s nice to see him exploring different genres. Overall, “Find You” is a beautiful track and almost managed to beat Dubvision at their own game.
If We’ll Ever Be Remembered ft. Shaun Farrugia
66/100
The solo song of “Sentio” is quite standard: Shaun’s performance is fine, and the base is alright… But “If We’ll Ever Be Remembered”, ironically, will be the song I’ll forget the first. I admit that many fans will like the typical make-up; speaking for myself, I preferred the other side of Martin Garrix, shown throughout the majority of this album. He can be more audacious and experimental: his comfort zone remains as Progressive House, and despite its beauty, didn’t fit.
What do you think?
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