Kasbo | Umbrella Club EP

Background

Kasbo has been producing for 2 years, and got his big break through a number of releases, most notably on the powerhouse electronic label Monstercat, Every Day Matters, and Bass for Autism Vol. 2, the latter of which the proceeds support autism research.  "Umbrella Club EP," his first EP in a while, was released for free on his SoundCloud yesterday.

Review

Listen to "Umbrella Club EP"

For an artist with nearly 60,000 followers, releasing an EP for free is a bold move on Kasbo's part and it, along with the tracks that he's provided, proves that "Umbrella Club EP" is all about the music.  "Umbrella Club EP" features a diverse track lineup spanning all things Future and Love Trap.  From the wobble basses of "Not Over," through the beatless floating landscape of "I Don't Get," to the high-strung "The Tension," there's a little bit of the Electronic spectrum here for everyone.  "Not Over" is the EP's lead track and most notably features a prominent wobble bass along with a plucky arp and spacey drums.  However, after a tear-jerking piano part, the wobble bass is replaced with sidechained synths in the same rhythm as the track builds to the synth-heavy climax.  "There's Something About U" sounds like something off a KOAN sound album, with a funkier beat and tight snare drums.  Kasbo's thrown in some addictive cowbell hits and crisp high-hats to tie together this song.  "I Don't Get" is the slow song of the EP, and actually how I first found out about this EP.  It starts off with dissonant chords and a haunting vocal howl.  The interesting part about this track is the lack of drums, with nothing but a muffled kick and distorted clap driving the beat.  Aside from that, "I Don't Get" is nothing but a trip down a winter lane at night.  "Fuck Love" brings back the upbeat future feel that's prevalent throughout the rest of the EP.  The lightning-fast synth arpeggios combined with the tight chords and square-saw lead lay the frame for the standard Future Bass track.  As far as Future Bass goes, this track brings nothing new to the usual outline, and on an EP so diverse and full this track feels a little cut-and-paste.  "The Tension," however, ends the EP on a brilliantly high note.  The uncredited vocals and tight production really bring the track together and push a clean mix.  "The Tension" is a mix of Future Bass and Love Trap (I get the two confused sometimes), it builds with massive energy, and the drop is cloud nine.  Arpeggios fly and high-hats flutter like butterflies.  The break after the drop is fantastic, too.  "The Tension" ends as the beat slows and the pitch lowers, and all in all ties together a well-rounded album.

Kasbo's signature Future Bass meets Love Trap sound is more than apparent on this EP, but it's the out of place tracks that really turn "Umbrella Club EP" into something else.  While I'm still unclear about exactly what the Umbrella Club is, and the album artwork doesn't help any, it's still a fantastic EP by all means and definitely something worth checking out if you like this side of EDM.    7/10