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.
Until next time.
Peace.
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