Saturday 14 July 2012

Children of Fate

The opinions expressed in this article are not endorsed by Splash Imagine Limited, Splash Bang! Or any of its affiliates.

Part I
As you may be aware I’m no writer by any means of the expression. Neither do I claim to be the authority on any of subjects elaborated on within context of this opinions’ piece. Everything you read here serves as an articulation of a myriad thoughts I’ve supressed in respect to opinions being no more than the regular occurrences of individual minds. Today, I decide to verbalize a streak of curiosity I’ve held captive over a considerable tide.

Delving deep into the caverns of my curiosity, human insufficiencies and the model paradox it pro-creates. As humans we’re trained to question stimuli in the universe we let our minds see. Leaving alone the world we simply can’t and choose not to comprehend despite being the ‘evolved’ organism. Do we ever question our own curiosities? Does it come from a place of not knowing or is it awareness that lets you sleep at night? Do you ever wonder why you want to know, why you crave safety not from despair, pain, loss but from uncertainty of subsequent changes to your psyche and existence tying directly to a ‘real world’  variation. Why am I questioning my own questions? How am I reluctantly able to step on a parallel plane of thought and intercept the motive of my very instigation? Maybe it’s true; we’re rooted too deeply in our conditional thinking. We adopt not to see or acknowledge the parameters of our mental safety. Life is simpler this way, isn’t it? Or is it even? Letting the curiosity manifest in and of itself, I’m going to step outside the ‘safe zone’ to explore my insecurity.

From Infancy, our most treasured ability is our capacity to communicate by means of sounds, gestures and physical expressions. Growing in a world built on these very foundations, we’ve grown to never examine its shortcomings i.e. deceit by tone and transcription. What if human retention kept us from discovering the sheer possibilities of our mental eco system? Other modes of expressing and/ or delivering your stance?

If you think about it, much like a computer or a circuit board, the human mind formulates what we call an opinion, expression via a complex tree of Yes’s and No’s’. Think about it! It’s a simple decision making circuit, applied to a very complex process tree almost like computing pipe lines. Liken the human species to a computer network, operating on the exact same architecture across the entire frame work. What if we all spoke this one language? Maybe realised tradition and culture serve as a mere memory of a behavioural past?
When you break it down, language Is but an audio formula, accept it! Religion is a dying man’s call for Hope. Give it a minute!... the colour of your skin is what’s known as a genetic characteristic. So, the scattered existence and development of humans as a species justify the various languages we speak, our distinct behaviour we relate idealistically to religion. So what about the difference in appearance? As you might have noticed, no two persons of identical colour profile look alike. The profile exists much like a catalogue of approximation. Relating this to our oldest, carbon blue print – bacteria, why do different types of bacteria exist? The ulterior motive of the question being, the answer might actually be a lot older than most of us may like to realise.

In our core nature, we’re taught and have grown to arrive at discrepancies to validate the importance of our individual existences. As a child, you’re taught; family, language, religion, geographic region, affinities, insecurities and hate on an existing platter of bias. As adults, hard as we try, mental thought procedures remain intact, the human machine. When sign language evolves to become uniform across regions by geography, why do the ‘capable beings’ forget language and religion formulate from basic human instinct? Their variations; an emanation of an isolated, less capable species that by-produced what we now call tradition and culture – separation by requirement.

Thoughts, opinions and personalities being the natural consequence of a device that operates on a fuel known as blood – the brain. Living their lives in separation and discreet hatred, envisioning an afterlife of repercussions. When the blood stops, so does the brain, your personality, your thoughts, race, religion, language, colour, species and now the adage of a once functioning organism. Possibly the bacterium of a bigger system, so small so invisible. Just like the resource recycling gifts of our paradigm – Bacteria. Functional with thoughts, existence for an end, dead like we are. Wretched Human.

Tuesday 31 January 2012

Srillex EP Review: BANGARANG

Keeping with tradition Ladies and Gents. I'm back with a review of the latest Skrillex EP: BANGARANG.

Right, before we talk about the music in and of itself. It's worth noting that Sonny Moore aka Skrillex has enjoyed an incredible amount of success over the previous year. He's been out on tour and Media's gone all out viral, calling him the next-generation face of Dubstep. The 'old school' masses however haven't all been as kind. The old boys hate seeing their Oh-so precious Dubstep reach a larger, commercial demographic. It's not cool any more "brov", or was it ever?. The friction's given in the way of a fresh new meme, the internet's calling 'Bro-step'. Despite mixed reactions, Skrillex is here, now and hot.


The new EP consists of 7 new tunes. Collaborations include: Sirah, Wolfgang Gartner, Kill the Noise, 12th Planet, Ellie Goulding and musical legends The Doors on a very interesting track that was featured on the Documentary - Re-Generation (Watch it).
Listen to this EP Preview.


The title track 'Bangarang' featuring Sirah starts on a catchy little melody and some good ole' Signature Sonny Moore vocal play. A turntable pitch shift and scratch, transition you straight into a heavy double set augmented bass hook. You'll be smiling, take it from me. The song immediately capitalises on the energy and introduces you to a break beat drop you never saw coming. The tune stays varied enough to make you want it not to stop. Every single breakdown almost always comes away in a screeching, screaming bass line cleverly plotted within a BPM shift. I can see old school Dub'heads mistaking this track for yet another generic collage of heavy bass and vocal nips. If you know what you're in for with Skrillex, this is just what you wanted more of. Not a bad start, not a bad start at all. 




'Right In' is the soundtrack to what caffeinated drinks do to you. It's very aggressive and stays 'no holds barred' from start to tail end. The track might sound very repetitive at a glance but gives way to an interesting bit of Dubstep chorus you'll hear a few times over the course of this 3 minute audio storm. You'll just have to listen deeper if you are to make anything of the underlying melody.


This next record is among my personal favourites off the EP. It features The Doors, Yup! you heard it right, THE DOORS!. The record was initially conceptualised for the documentary film Re-Generation. See the paradox?. Hmmm... Watch this video


'Breakin' A Sweat' features bits of dialogue from the film in a blatant but unconventionally refreshing way almost serving a palette cleanser. What else must you know apart from the collaboration sounding like the result of a drug and alcohol infused night at the pub?. Well, the tune is very good. Actually, it's brilliant. It's got everything from catchy bass, clever beats, breakdowns and trance inducing riffs. This could've easily ended up being the result of certain ideas that should just never see the light of day. But it'll blow your mind in a way, only such a ludicrous concept ever could.


'Summit' introduces you to an artist who's been the friend of very many dubstep artists. Maybe it's her synthesizer friendly voice. Ellie Goulding doesn't really do much for this song. In fact, she can be likened to the cemetery in Michael Jackson's Thriller video. For all I care, it could've been Sonny Moore's neighbour or his cat OD'd on Amphetamine. Here's what I'm trying to say, there's not much of her on the track quite honestly but hey, she'll sell the record for him. Still, I'm gonna take a step in the opposite direction and tell you "You'll love this tune". It's very catchy, features impressive breakdown sections and is probably the most radio friendly tune off the record.




Enter, 12th Planet, Kill the Noise. 'Right on Time' is the tune I never imagined I'd hear on this EP. I can almost say it sits much more comfortably in the hands of Post Reggae DnB and Trance variations. The tune instantly tucks into a 2-step Reggaeton-ish drum hook complimented by a glitchy vocal note that you'll hear throughout the song. 1 minute 35 seconds in, you're not listening to Dubstep any more. Instead it's a hybrid mix of a briliant variation of the previous beat accented heavily with modulated bass jitters. It's genius, if you ask me. The song progresses on a subtler tone there on.




Now we'll get the final two tracks off the EP. These tracks made it straight into my book of all time Dubstep favourites and are so much more closely related to Legacy Skrillex music you may have heard in previous years. They also happen to be the two heavier Dub anthems on the record. Maybe I'm being a little too feeble with nostalgia. That aside, you MUST know, the following tunes I'm going to talk about are nothing short of Dubstep bliss.


'Kyoto' featuring Sirah explodes into a vocally altered work of brilliance. Following suit, straight into traditional modulated bass lines and synths. Now, you'll meet a bit of lyric that makes no apparent sense but it'll resound within the corridors of your inner mind, hours on end. It goes something like "Bass makes the bi@ch come". I know it's rude, apologies. It's a moment, metaphorically and ironically. Genius. Not to mention, you'll want to get a lovely pair of trainers on and hit the town soon afterwards. If you like Dubstep, you'll love this track. 


The next track "The Devil's Den" incidentally is what I assume Hell ought to sound like. It's aggressive, it's filthy in a way, only a Dub lover could and would understand. Oh! did I mention, it features Wolfgang Gartner. SOLD. If someone ever asks you what Core Dubstep might evolve to sound like in 2050. This is it, right here, right now. I won't tell you any more. Go! listen to it.




To sum it all up, The EP does exactly what you'd expect it to do. I'd have liked a litttle more variation, maybe a little more experimentation. Still, it doesn't fail to impress. If you've been a fan of Skrillex or you've only just discovered Sonny Moore. You're in safe hands. If you're an avid fan of Dubstep and you've gotten here looking for relationship advice, let me tell you this. This is right up your alley. 
8.5/10


The EP released exclusively on Beatport and is also available on CD.
Buy it here http://www.beatport.com/release/bangarang-ep/851105



Wednesday 20 July 2011

Skrillex - More Monsters and Sprites Review - B5RCL5Y


Skrillex - More Monsters And Sprites

It's finally here. The remixed EP follow up to late 2010's Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. The EP consists of 3 new tunes with an added bonus 4 remixes featuring the previous EP's title song. The much popular Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. 


The EP in its entirety is as brutal, melodious and relentless as every other tune Sonny Moore previously laid his hands on. Expect no less from the young, tattooed bass line prodigy. Keeping business brief, The 3 new melodies are in a class of their own. 




1. First Of The Year (Equinox) - being my personal favourite, followed closely by a Full Flex (whatever that may mean) version of;
2. Ruffneck  - a tune slightly inspired by the post-Reggae Garage movement. The FULL Flex version is what can be described as a play on dubstep. But only in a good way.
3. Ruffneck - the not FULL Flex version. A song that proudly credits its Caribbean nurturing, a unique blend of hooks and catchy beats.




Moving on to the rest of what's to come.
I recommend you listen to this EP preview.




The 4 remixes come into form, being exclusive re-works of Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites.
Courtesy of electronic heavy weights;


Dirtyphonics - if man could fly, this is how I assume it would likely feel. 
Kaskade - being the one I just couldn't completely wrap my head around. 
The Juggernaut - an absolute dubstep treat. Half way in, the song definitely takes a step in the opposite direction unleashing its full arsenal of heavy bass-line hard hitters. 




The most interesting of the remixes is a tune I like to think of as a musical experiment that's 50% song, 200% genius. Just when the song hits its stride, you'll be left with nothing but a replay button and heartache for so much more of all that goodness you just witnessed.
Give it a listen. Phonat - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites Remix.




The Verdict.
It's Great. Buy it.


Buying the album on iTunes comes with a bonus music video to Rock N' Roll (Will Take You to The Mountain).
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/more-monsters-and-sprites/id444335382