• Eccentric craftwork
• Excellent breakdown atmosphere
• Techy influence with the lead

Together with aliases such as Will Sparks and Timmy Trumpet, Joel Fletcher is one of the most recognizable faces in the Melbourne dance scene and its bounce subgenre, which is characterized by upbeat basses and a distinct darker sound: all available in “Rumble”, a fresh release from the said alias in KSHMR’s Dharma Worldwide imprint.

My expectations were waiting for something unique, and I wasn’t let down: the track is perfect for a review! Yes, it didn’t turn me into a fan of its peculiar finale, but if you are here for originality, this is the right place. One has to admire the penchant Joel has for experimenting with minimal drop sequences, containing his signature Bounce lead and a Techno-suffused mix of vocals and basses. The steel drums supplement the recipe with a futuristic feel, a much-appreciated addition!

The vocals hold a hypnotic sway, although confusing me in the long run as it’s a dominant character. Then, I focused on the top-notch bassline, a clear testament to Joel’s experience with his native genre and similar to his prior releases. The breakdown, though, reserved some other surprises.

A cinematic sequence merges with the vocal loop finally left idle in the background as the climax escalates. Here I noticed the fine art of managing the build-up, as I was craving for the final drop to hit, especially when those main leads began to slowly unroll… concluding with a revisit from the first drop with the same instruments.

Is it Melbourne Bounce? In theory, yes, committed to Fletcher’s usual ideas. However, there’s a minimalist Techno sound here just like Will Sparks‘ recent endeavors, something which has created a brand new artistic current in the genre. Still in the beginning phase, results such as “Rumble” are a bit raw, but there’s promising progress ahead should these productive experiments continue.

You can listen to “Rumble” here:

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