One of Columbus’ most lovable bass heads just released a little piece of bass beauty. Coming together with artist SHA, WTV fam member YAMi brings us ‘KUMITE [MMXVAC]’. Dropping a mere fifteen hours ago, the track is another testament to the dubstep that runs through YAMi’s mind. The track is available for download on his SoundCloud, so make sure to cop that before you read any further into this review.
The track takes a soft open that spread this nice melodic feel over a nice steady percussive line. Chimes and the heightened humming clashes with the metallic shake that diverts the attention, and introduces the hard build-up. The hard scooping bass hits come in and shake the track out of the sweet and soft. The drop comes and we get the metallic scratching wubbiness that we associate with YAMi. ‘KUMITE’ really demonstrates a strong adherence to patterning. This construction style is something we do not normally see overused by YAMi, so we attribute that really solid structuring to SHA. What we do immediately shift to YAMi is the soundscape on the track. There are tons of clips, sounds, bits, and vocals pumping through the track, and that screams to YAMi production. Pairing that with the really amazing dubstep structure and sound, we get this really exciting track. Both builds and drops bring similar vibes to the table, but allow for variation that gives the track that manic dubstep nature.
‘KUMITE’, without a doubt, brings the dubstep to the table. The track is something new to us, however, because we get to see YAMi contributing with SHA. We of course are assuming with what we know from writing about YAMi, but we really liked the organized chaos the track sold. YAMi is the king of bringing so many thoughts into a bass track and making it something to remember. In those cases, we do not always see a blueprint that can be repeated. Here working with SHA, we get this really strong skeleton that is paper-mached with the flesh of a thousand beasts. We thank artists, like SHA, for being a part of our family’s music, because it always brings new sounds and new sides of the WTV fam to light.
A WTV staple artist, Bassani, collaborates with fellow Canadian fam member, Flero, on the latest track ‘Execute’. The track is a very bouncy house track that embodies the dark and underground side. It is a solid collaboration that just has us foaming at the mouth, for the dance floor. In the meantime, we will shuffle through the track with words, as we break down ‘Execute’.
If you have been reading for a while, you know that Bassani is a master when it comes to giving the music a plotline. This, pairing with his astound production capability, invites any artist to be an amazing co-author. Flero is a solidified contributor, so before the track even comes in; we know we are in good hands.
Once the music starts in, we get this really nice interlude. The track plays a little with the ear, foreshadowing sound. The duo brings forward the vocal, the bassline, and the high-end accent, but rolls it back. It rolls right over into the full force of the track. Dirty house bounce that really grovels on the bass is plaid under this very neo-narrative voice track. As the verse speeds into the breakdown, we get this awesome rise into the record scratch-vocal pair drop. The drop it leads into is this super synthesized whine that bounces and spins the brain in circles. Bassani and Flero craft a fun future-grit house loop to define the song. The stark contrast that exists between the energies of the build and the drop demonstrates the two sides to a whole of collaboration, as well as the dubby versus housey sides of electronic music. We see it becoming a great track through the division and combination of those parts. It becomes even more special with that Bassani plot-twist around halfway through the track. The song does not move from the build to the drop back to the build: the classic construction we love. Instead, we get this little hovering disorientation that brings us back to the second half of the track. The production choice really engages the ear and breaks expectations. It is such a highlight because it actually reinvigorates and makes brand new the second half of the song. Just a subtle little break of difference absolutely sells the song home as something special.
Bassani and Flero bring home another amazing collaboration with ‘Execute’. They are continually developing talent and sound recognition that sets them apart. ‘Execute’ has such dance vibes that make being off the dancefloor hurt. However, let’s clear out the living room and start crafting choreography so we keep getting music and are ready to hear it out the big speakers. Great to be writing about these two family members, and it is our love, vibes, streams, and dancing that will keep them making more to write about.
It is so nice getting back into the swing of things. Coming back into the scene and hearing about all our WTV fam has done with 2020; it has been incredible. Today we bring a track of one of the fam members that has blown us away. His growth in sound, talent, consistency, and sheer release volume is electrifying. Entel has been on a mission this year, and you can really see it in the past weeks. Releasing consistently for the past four weeks, he is flooding outlets with his unique sound and proving that he is just getting started. With yesterday’s release of ‘Atlas’, he has officially dropped five tracks in the past month. Be sure to backtrack his Spotify the last few weeks, after you take a little jaunt through ‘Atlas’ with us.
The striking quality that should stick out the listener, when hearing Entel’s tracks, is complexity. There always seems to be this almost experimental unpacking, which the production walks us through. ‘Atlas’ is clear and present evidence of Entel’s production reputation, in our eyes. The fantastical journey takes and shifts the scope we think of the sounds laid on our ear by the track. For a song that runs double most tracks, Entel takes and fills the entirety with engaging sound and intelligent melody. The very constructive nature of the sound lets the listener be with Entel producing. We are hearing how the pieces come together and seeing the melting and melding of everything together. ‘Atlas’ takes us out of the present and abandons time, then spits us out with this residual enlightening 6 minutes later. Yet even once it is over, we are left wanting more. The intrigue of the sound and the interest in the combinations it can make was just floated in front of us. Like a word stuck on the tip of your tongue, we do not want to stop until we have it. No synonym or homonym really brings that euphoric satisfaction that THE word does. The same it true here. Entel makes music that makes the music lover want to make music. We see this way that he can construct real music from the start of simple rhythm, and yet turn it into this wonderful scape of feeling. ‘Atlas’ took us through it as it built into the heart of the track, and in six minutes deconstructed to where we started.
Entel really seems to put onto the market something that most of us are not hearing. His music is exactly as we described: bringing emotion we are not familiar with. ‘Atlas’ is a real solid representation of this mystery that we are really hungering for. The spectacular nature of interlaced simplicity is the draw to Entel, and we hope that his volume of music remains high so we can keep chasing the feeling.
2020 has been an ass year, and we haven’t been here bringing any entertainment. No juicy write-ups, music exposure, vibe cultivation- radio silence, if you will. And that sucked, so we are back baby! The duo is back-in-action, fighting the good fight, and creating the content we love to make for you. Bringing us back from our hiatus is WTV fam member, Jimmy Rock. So let us come back to the world of WTV, through the World of Drops.
Marking the first EP to debut on his Spotify, World of Drops is a club busting story piece that melds together the narrative and DJ sides of Jimmy. He is able to craft music that we easily identify as his sound and brand, but the EP is not just a pool of club fuel. Jimmy makes it into more, and puts more on the line, by establishing this overarching theme. World of Drops is where combat meets the club.
The opening piece is the narrative articulation of what we should be prepared to hear. However, if you have no knowledge of Jimmy Rock it seems like the intro to an epic novel. Even with just preparatory vocals, there is a distortion that pulls from the ancient art of war. It does not pull away from the message of the pride, toll, and call of war, but rather the setting it is in. We see the painted vision of historical battle slightly blurred, out of full focus, because there is more coming into the shot.
The hints of the electronic turn way up in the second track. Jimmy Rock crafts war into a rhythm, with chants and stomps. It electrifies the chest and lights a fire of noble passion to our limbs. The first track appears to be the pep-talk from the commanding officer before we take our troops to battle. It is all about the build. We have this drawn out war-time rhythm that propels us into the adrenaline booster that we all know and loves: the build of a club track. The front line and the dancefloor converge on ‘War’ creating this track that rolls. Each hit creates such strong friction to move us forward, into the crowds of festivals or fights. There is this sense of openness that comes from the sound mastering, which really sells the idea of being part of something bigger. It echoes the monologue that introduced the track; ‘War’ reflects it in new light. The listener ties the ferocity of an army to the functions of the dance community. It pushes us to see the intensity of drops, the many ways they can be used. World of Drops looks to connect the energy of the electronic music scene to many aspects that are outside of it, yet still enhanced, defined, and traced by the music being made. ‘War’ announces the connection and delivers the experience.
Jimmy Rock seems no stranger to the danger; coming forward with track two being another clear connection to battle. ‘Catch These Hands’ clearly suggests the fight is coming to us. Well, really it feels like a fight we would attend under bright lights with two gloved men glistening in a ring. The punchy brass jabs and keeps us light on our feet, as the energy builds like the anticipation for the bell. It feels flashy and gritty which is that feeling that mirrors in boxing or on a dark club’s dancefloor. We really painted this crazy image in our heads when the vocals came through. Pettidee has this raspy, deep, takes-no-shit voice that pairs with the boastful verse. With no connection to Pettidee except this verse, we would bet money that he is Apollo Creed and Lil Jon mashed perfectly. Which just shows how effective Jimmy is in playing to the club and the scenes he relates the music to. Seen again when his rhythm changes at the second drop, and it feels almost sampled from a speed bag exercise. It is impeccable and a touch we hope you all see as we do.
Moving to a connection other than the competitions of violence; Jimmy Rock introduces ‘Don’t Sleep On Me’. Similar to earlier in the EP, Jimmy tells a lot through the name choice of each track. However, he crafts a name that can be taken for parts and as a whole. We see “sleep” taken from the track, as the song emerges from the ticking of time and the wailing of an alarm clock. It is the evident connection and the shock to the ear, from the last track. It moves further past just the idea of time and the connection to rhythm. ‘Don’t Sleep On Me’ has this dark and ominous presence. It feels like a building nightmare to the listener until you adopt the logic of the title. The phrase “don’t sleep on me” is a caution to not let “me” fall out of mind, or else they won’t be there when you become successful. Jimmy Rock produces that warning with mechanical, industrial, cold, and growing sounds to wake the people up to what they will miss. The song showcases the “rise and grind” mentality through continual waking (the alarm clock), the concerning growth of success (the strong industrial builds and drops), and the call to the fools who once thought nothing of you (the repeated intensity of the line, “Wake up!”). All of that wrapped up into one of Jimmy Rocks’ scariest songs to date. It brings a chill on first listen, then inspires unwavering persistence every one after.
Flexing is pass-time if you have the confidence to flaunt and the goods to back it up. We all get a little taste of what that feels like with ‘Won’t Stop’. Artists, Steven Malcolm and Fern, bring the big baller mentality to this track and are able to take a strong hold of the track, while Jimmy gives them the floor- until party time. After each verse, we hear the “Can’t stop. Won’t stop.” build into the fist-pumping, bass thumping, horn blaring rave track that screams champagne showers on Venice Beach. Where the vocals hold, boast, and embody the lavish, VIP, party-all-the-time mentality, the drop brings it back to what we all can obtain and crave. ‘Won’t Stop’ is the connection to the elite. It shows any listener that even the big shots hunger for the feeling anyone can experience. A message that is stitched perfectly into the theme that the euphoria of drops can be placed anywhere and be found in anything; it is so easily obtainable yet never satisfied.
The last track, ‘You Feel It’, is the proof of the World Of Drops. Jimmy merges moombahton, with deeper bass, and his signature club hype to introduce the track. It feels very familiar and has us ready for the drop we are expecting. For us though, the track over-delivers and jars us at first listen. It is not what we would expect and it has us fully into the track. The drums and vocals bounce back and forth. We move with it to chase toward the next drop, to see what is in store. It is the thrill of chasing the drop and the wonder of experiencing it. The song is huge, bold, and bouncy, as it encourages us, “Let’s go!” It all continues until it is just gone. The EP over along with the track, we are left trying to “go” with no drop left on this track. That push is not something that Jimmy had to give, he did not create the satisfaction of the drop. Rather he completes the EP by showing us the message of his craft. Why he loves to make music. The whole world lusts for the energy of drops, and he gets to give people their fix. He gets to shock them, fill their ears and minds, create things that have never been heard before, and light the fire in someone that has them chasing the music for the rest of their lives.
World Of Drops is this experimental demonstration of the mind of Jimmy Rock, and the message that the world needs music. Through adaptations of his energetic club production, he creates stories that are woven together so tightly they seem to be of the same cloth. This EP is a message that no matter what the drop is, no matter the message, no matter the time, no matter the artist… you see where we are going. NO MATTER WHAT! Music is what makes the world go round and the drops are the motivation and the backdrop for the journey. Thank you Jimmy for letting us get to experience such a piece of heart, and we are continually excited to see what more is to come and what more you will say. It feels good to be back and to get something as juicy as World Of Drops.
Back-to-back appearances, not as an artist but as an exposer: Kaelyn Gray. This girl is the piggy bank of new music from new artists- and we are cashing in lately. As we catch up on the content she is offering, we take it back to a release back in April. Coming from Megan Hamilton, we get the 4/20 release of G.R.E.A.M. So we take it back to the greenest of holidays to re-experience green ruling everything around us.
‘G.R.E.A.M.’ is another really unique sound style for us. Our first taste of Megan Hamilton’s production is this really funky street track. The track has very techy aspects that adds grit through underground bass and rolling hip-hop lyrical work. It is without a doubt a party track but has this command that could define a fashion runway. ‘G.R.E.A.M.’ breaks itself into portions through the vocalist; each voice inspires a different production sound. With the male vocalist, Will Robinson, we get this bouncier middle-heavy sound. His voice has some gruff that serves as the bassier element during the hook. With his lower voice, we see the treble-tones really pop from production. The drop then brings this really dirty loop. It prefaces the rest of the track but does not give it all away. Megan Hamilton rolls lyrics onto the lingering bassline of the first drop. It allows the energy to step up off of the first drop. Her flow is so smooth and has crazy attitude and rolls right back into the hype nature of Will Robinson. His vocals bring us back to the chorus and introduce the second drop. Neon shadows are cast over wet pavement, which rumbles with the rhythm of drop two. The track just vibrates the legs and body into purposeful motion. And then it all perfectly deconstructs piece by piece to close out the track.
Megan Hamilton pumps ‘G.R.E.A.M.’ with her talent, while also managing to sneak in Will Robinson as well. This track deserves appreciation in each aspect. The vocals are catchy and have really great flow. Both vocalists are clear and really solid with their words, which gives it that sing-to vibe. And the beats they come in on are just as clear. Megan Hamilton’s production takes elements of hip-hop, funk, disco, and this dark house to construct this lively night in the streets. She celebrates a unique sound with a unique title that has kept ‘G.R.E.A.M.’ on our minds since the first listen. Super excited to have Megan on our watch list now, and we hope to maybe work with her more. Thank you again, Kaelyn for the awesome listening/writing opportunity- you continually drop good things on our doorstep.
Our favorite new artist/new music fairy has been busy lately bringing us release after release. Today we tackle the album Off The Grid released by Bósa. Kaelyn has comes in clutch once again to open us up to an artist with a whole lot to offer. Off The Grid is a seven-song work that plays on a lot of different genres united by a chill and wonky production style. The whole album plays so smoothly and really brings this glazed sound styling. As we move through the tracks, you will hear that really polished brand showcasing different masks. This is a great first experience, with Bósa, because the duo showcases a lot of different angles.
Euphoria is ushered in with the album’s first title, ‘Electric Blue’. This track is a really solid at building a muddled sound-scape to be unboxed through the entirety of the song. Both vocally and production-wise, it comes in with this aloof groove. The overtone of this track feels natural and organic, through the use of strings and authentic percussion. We hear a transformation in pace and level of sound masking as we close in on the close of the track. It is a nice little pepper of contrast to the very smooth track experience.
Floating into a similarly relaxing tone, Bósa brings us ‘Batucada’. The track has an audible higher produced electronic sound. It also delves deeper into darker and bassier sounds. Opening as a trance house title and evolving into a really gritty mechanical bass track. We really see a real difference, in sound from ‘Electric Blue’, but see percussion and ethereal lines as emerging staples for Bósa.
Continuing with clear house openings, we get a nice kick line to introduce ‘Melange’. Other than that first strong house melody, the first real zest of the track is that savory guitar line. It comes in quickly and slowly absorbs into the background. We hear the line echoed and distorted to create this really fluid environment. Guiding percussion and really forward rhythms tour us through ‘Melange’. The not quite-recognizable vocals and introduced organic instruments bring evoke this psychedelic trance. ‘Melange’ and ‘Electric Blue’ have a similar production style, but a completely different sound. It is here we see the maneuverability of Bósa’s sound, even when they strike similar chords.
The fourth song relates back to the second, as the first did the third. ‘Prowl’ we get another dark production Bósa track. Opening with produced futuristic sounds, we get something that is simple to allow the distant vocals to poke through. After the initial verse, we drop into a really sludgy bass line. It has motion and body to it, but its high viscosity brings it down. Eventually cutting through that weight is the acoustic string line. It is what gives ‘Prowl’ that edge of contrast, and breaks the mostly electronic sound; synthesizing global culture with psychoactive production.
On ‘Torn’, we see Shri come back as the vocalist and define the beauty of this track. ‘Torn’s vocal line is the butter of the track, and the sandy drum lines are the butter it smoothly spreads over. It is a very productionally exposed track, meaning that you can pretty much hear everything the first listen through. This simplicity is what really allows the track to pop and take many different directions. Like the rest of Bósa’s Off The Grid, the track evokes an out-of-body experience feel. With ‘Torn’, however, the experience feels reflective/meditative; it holds up a mirror rather than opening a window.
‘Cenote’ is another visit to the middle eastern sound style. This track is very bouncy and has a lot of strong bass hits. It moves quickly to introduce snippets of many different sounds, all while riding along on the xylophone rhythm line. Distorted lyrics, rattling bass rips, and electronic guitar all make appearances in the track and bring this really created-live feel to the track. You can see the duo bouncing around from instrument to instrument on a stage, riffing on the same line they introduced. ‘Cenote’ is a smorgasbord of sound sampling and creation.
‘Piranha’ is the closing seventh track. Bósa come with a deep and groovy track to seal the album. When listening, we see a synergy of all aspects of their style. We get the euphoria. We get the creamy vocals. We get electronic production value. And of course, we get those organic instruments. ‘Piranha’ is this cool colored involved listen. It gives the pace to dance to, but the style to melt to. The sound created and used for the drop is something completely new, paired with the guitar riff they are the biggest take away for us. The song closes out ‘Piranha’ on such a wild note and simultaneously flexes the ability and creativity of Bósa.
Bósa has secured a spot in our minds with Off The Grid. In seven songs, they exhibited talent and intelligence to bring really mind-bending music. Not only in the creation of each track, but also on the album, there was purpose to how everything falls together. They showcase a sound that is something so new to the ear and demonstrate the building ability it has. The duo showed us they deserve a spot at Electric Forest; Off The Grid oozes live potential and psychedelic nature. Such a pleasure to come in contact with this album, and get Bósa on our watch list. Thanks again Kaelyn for the connection!
Where's The Vibe 