A killer vocal sample over some of the tightest compresson of any bass track I've heard makes for an exhilarating ride. The Ontario based duo Dr. Ozi has been racking up fandom and testing the waters over the course of the past few years, opening for every act imaginable from Nero to Downlink. Now they're back with record force for their biggest production debut to date for Buygore alongside 19 year old AleXander. Grab the free download.
These past couple weeks or so, I've been in somewhat of a musical funk. I've been trying to find some new music, but I've been having a hard time finding exactly what I want to listen to. Fortunately, Bare has come to my rescue with his remix of AC Slater and Nick Thayer's "Night Owl." It’s a departure from some of his remixes in the past, with the biggest difference being that this one is set at 110 BPM. I’m usually a bit cautious when it comes to Dubstep artists making tracks in the Moombahton BPM range, but Bare quickly put my doubts to rest. He mixes his legendary bass wobble so well with the Moombahton beat you’d think he's been making Moombahcore his entire life. It's a superb remix, and it's exactly what I needed to get out of my funk - grab the free download!
I always anticipate Dada Life's DJ Mix and May 2013's broadcast left my mouth watering. Olle & Stefan featured some banging remixes in their first for this warm weather and one in particular stood out: Major Lazer's remix of their own hit "Boing Clash Boom." Trap and the two Swedes are not a combination you'd usually expect, but one must not forget there are no rules to Dada. With Diplo's signature sound juxtaposed with some powerful bass and snippets of D&B there's something to appreciate in here for everybody. We'll update you when the extended mix drops soon!
Caspa's 15-track Alpha Omega LP is as ambitious as it is diverse. Easily doubling as an action movie soundtrack, this album’s influences should be no surprise: Caspa's recent résumé includes both Kick-Ass 2, and Halo 4, to name a few.
The eponymous first track, "Alpha Omega," is as lofty as the name implies, including almost every element in EDM from its beginning to its end. Channeling the start of a Michael Bay movie, this song could easily be played with quick visual cuts of an aircraft carrier, jets flying overhead, soldiers with camo facepaint – their legs dangling over the edge of a fast-moving helicopter swirling past lavish blue seas in the background, guns locked and loaded. Then, hints of dry, dubstep bass beats bubbling out of molten metal, transitioning to progressive house, then going back to its action movie soundtrack – guns locked and loaded.
The action continues through track 2: "Setting Sun." Here, Caspa’s soldiers have landed, and they’re charging towards their enemy. If "Alpha Omega" was all about adrenaline, this song’s violins and vocals peel back the intensity to replace the adrenaline with high emotion. Everything feels significant. This songs weaves trance through light dubstep, climbing with snare claps in a military rhythm.
Skipping over to "Sexy Beast," the bass beat is slow, meticulous, relentless. Percussive, drowning sounds transition to a quick fade-out into empty space.
"Techno Terry" comes out with a Tiesto vibe: light, bouncy, driving down into low bass with percussive synth melody driving the rhythm along. If the first tracks were a tribute to action movie soundtracks, then "Techno Terry" is an homage to late 90's EDM – but Caspa has managed to make it sound fresh and new again. I only wish it were longer, as we only get a small three-minute taste of this before we delve into the darker, post-apocalyptic sounds of "Ghost Town."
With some solid but forgettable tracks in-between, the album picks up again with Ayah Marar's powerful vocals in "One by One." This track makes it clear why Calvin Harris brings her on tour for live vocals – she nails this track. Caspa, smartly, does not try to shine in this song; he uses light synth and tight, subtle bass to supports her vocals rather than trying to compete with them. A smart track.
"Let the Rush Kick In" manages to sound laid back and adrenalizing all at the same time. It effortlessly strings together roots of 60s Jamaican dub to contemporary dubstep.
The last two tracks bring the LP full circle – back to Alpha Omega’s action movie theme – and they could easily be woven into the outro credits of a Jason Bourne movie. The superfast snare intensity of "Reach for the Sky" eventually relents to the slow wubs and soft synth of "Back for the First Time." This last track fulfills a similar function to Skrillex's "Summit" on his Bangarang EP – a nice, ethereal break from the intensities of the previous songs. A palate cleanser of an ending, giving you a nice moment of clarity to cap-off an ambitious sophomore effort of an LP.
Alpha Omega is a mosaic of an LP, with self-contained genres scattered throughout the album's overriding action themes. Although Alpha Omega can stray from its focus, more often than not it provides the listener with refreshing variety rather than filler.
When to listen: While playing an FPS, or, as an alternate soundtrack to some of your favourite action movies.
Definitely check out: "Alpha Omega," "Setting Sun," "Techno Terry," "One By One," and "Reach for the Sky."
This one dropped less than 10 minutes ago on the UKF channel in anticipation of Rob & Gareth's follow up to Rage Valley dropping this coming Monday. Today Knife Party are here to assure you that they and they alone will get the final beat in with their "EDM Death Machine" before Wolfgang Gartner's apocalypse comes to a dramatic climax. There will be no Internet friends, no antidote, the human race will be extinct - so get ready to say hello to the robots. Is it just me or does anyone else hear the "Sandstorm" progression at 2:47?
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 4:06PM | tagged 
