The Eden Project | Bipolar Paradise

Background

The Eden Project, who recently switched his alias to EDEN, is easily recognizable for his blend of pop/rock vocals and innovative EDM.  Because of his recent name change, information on him is short, and two tracks from "Bipolar Paradise" (there are five) are the oldest songs up on his SoundCloud, even though the complete discography, which you can download here, he offered before the switch says otherwise.  Supposedly, he received a laptop from Puppet, another electronic musician whom The Eden Project has two collaborations with on Monstercat, which he used to begin producing music.  A year later, he was making enough money from his music to buy his own laptop, and ever since he's been a huge staple in the electronic music community.  In addition to producing his own songs to sing on, he's been featured by the likes of Puppet, Crystal Skies, Reaktion, and more.  "Bipolar Paradise" is one of his later releases, and one where his sound is more refined.

Review

Listen to "Bipolar Paradise"

The Eden Project has used his unique vocal talent to craft a perfect blend of an indie electronic style and alternative popish vocals.  While his production is definitely a work of art and a new, fresh take on the downtempo lo-fi electronic music scene that seems to be gaining ground, his vocals are the real star of all his works.  The Eden Project has massive talent; his voice is clean, articulate, and can sing grace notes and turns with perfect precision.  There's no one to compare his vocal style to, as it's uniquely his own and hard to imitate.  "Bipolar Paradise" starts off strong with a chello melody from "drowning.," the opening track.  It starts off with the filtered vocals that The Eden Project knows and loves, and the dark, depressing song builds to a downtempo, wobbly chorus.  After a short break with a huge wall of block chord sound, we get another verse and chorus, which then builds to a huge electro breakdown which also serves as an outro.  "Fumes" is next, which almost sounds like an Imagine Dragons alternative rock track with hints of electronic hiding between the staff.  Either way, "Fumes" is an upbeat track with a catchy vocal line and a tasty sawtooth breakdown.  With "Jupiter," "Bipolar Paradise" winds back down to the melancholy, dark sound that he's known for.  With some filtered strings and a memorable build into the chorus, we get a minimalistic breakdown which returns to the chorus after some more strings.  The chorus is a melodic mish-mash of multiple lo-fi, cluttered sounds and, with The Eden Project's vocals soaring on top, make "Jupiter" a fantastic track.  As an interlude of sorts, "Soul" breaks up the release as a short purely acoustic track.  It's not particularly unique in any way, but it does serve to break the relentless torrent of dark, heavy music, and it's just a peaceful song.  "Man Down," the last track on the record, almost feels like a continuation of "Soul" at first, but slowly the acoustic intro makes way for a big, offbeat chorus/drop.  It's probably my least favorite off the release, but that's just because every other song is so fantastic; it's no fault of the song itself.  It returns to the acoustic sound to end the song, and the release.

The Eden Project's vocal talent is what makes this record what it is.  Without it, it'd still be a fantastic post-EDM piece that's more creative than an everyday "club banger," and one hundred percent more artistic.  His vocals, however, and as usual, take "Bipolar Paradise" to new heights.  From the slow, dark tones of "drowning.," through the upbeat alternative feel of "Fumes," and to the slow, acoustic sound of "Soul," "Bipolar Paradise really has something for everyone, and the vocal work is way too catchy to be passed up.  8/10.

Notable Remixes

Fumes (Murtagh Remix)

It's technically a bootleg, and not a remix, but that slight technicality doesn't stop Murtagh's remix from being quite good.  It's got a controversial record, but his interesting take is definitely more than "a bit strange," as one YouTube comment describes it.  His remix has great variation, from the heavy drop in the beginning and to the verse.  After a slightly long pause, there's a mostly instrumental, almost neuro chorus, into a melodic, plucky outro.

Fumes (Murtagh Remix) (Arcien Bootleg)

In an interesting take, Arcien remixes what's already been remixed, although the original remix is so close to the original at times that Arcien's bootleg almost just feels like a remix of the original.  Arcien's take is just a melodic drum and bass take on the original remix that overall just feels more coherent than Murtagh's remix.  It's short, but it feels just perfect.  In the end, the drum and bass fix is just what the song needed.

Knife Party | Trigger Warning

Background

As stated in my previous reviews about Knife Party, Knife Party started off as a side project coined by Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen of Pendulum, but it became their main act.  After a few insanely popular remixes, most notably of "Spitfire" by Porter Robinson and "Save The World" by Swedish House Mafia, they released their debut EP, "100% No Modern Talking EP."  From there, the Australian duo's success is legend: Knife Party is a staple name in EDM and the duo has released multiple EP's and even an album, "Abandon Ship."  "Trigger Warning" is the fourth and most recent of the duo's trend of 4-track EP's.  It was quietly released two days ago (even I didn't know about it until today) and the tracks were revealed a day early via 1001Tracklists.

Review

Listen to "Trigger Warning"

It's strange to me that I didn't even know this EP had released until two days after it had, even though I follow Knife Party on SoundCloud, YouTube, and Facebook.  Stranger still is the minimalistic approach to the cover art, as the duo's logo, the knife in the circle, is not the main focus of the artwork, as it has been for all their other works.  Yet perhaps the strangest thing about this release is the fact that it doesn't really feel like Knife Party.  Sure, anyone listening to this EP could probably nail down their signature sound as distinctly theirs, but it lacks the hard edge that makes their music such a good standard and example of where bass music could and should be.  It's also worth mentioning that this is the first Knife Party release to feature a remix on the release itself, which means that one of four valuable spots on the EP does not feature the classic Knife Party sound, further detracting from the soul of the EP.  That being said, it's not a bad release under the wide umbrella of EDM as a whole.  "PLUR Police," which supposedly stands for "Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect," features catchy robotic vocals based on the song "Bad Boys," with "bad boys" swapped out for "PLUR police" in the actual melody.  The rest of the song is just big room, and, while miles better and more progressive than your average big room track, it's still just big room, which, from Knife Party, is rather below the standard they've set for themselves.  It's got a rather exciting cinematic breakdown in the middle, but it's faded into and out of too quickly and I wish it had been expanded upon.  In what's probably the best song off of the EP, "Parliament Funk" has that classic electro groove that I'd expect from "Rage Valley" Knife Party.  The drop gets repetitive fast, and it's not nearly as funky as the title implies, but the rhythmic bass hits and pounding electro groove do drive the track nicely and the rosk-ish guitar and drums, especially present in the intro and the second build, are reminiscent of Pendulum, which is a nice throwback to the duo's older work.  The last of the originals on this EP is a collaboration with Tom Staar called "Kraken," but the electro and big room hybrid just comes out sounding like another "EDM banger," that is to say, a generic track meant to be played at festivals and not much else.  It is nice, though, to note the lack of distorted kick that usually defines big room house.  The drop is catchy, but it gets repetitive quickly, and not even the toe-tapping beat can save this track.  In a rather ironic turn of events, the hardest track on the EP isn't even Knife Party's.  Jauz's remix of "PLUR Police (Jauz Remix)" takes the catchy vocal line from the original and frees it from its generic big room prison.  His heavy, dissonant wobbles and growls in an absolutely massive dubstep beat are actually the saving grace of what would otherwise be a complete waste of 17 minutes.  The mix feels a little rough around the edges at times, but that's more nit-picky than anything, because it's such a relief to hear something a little edgy on this album.

And, if anything, that's my main complaint with "Trigger Warning:" it's too safe.  It feels like Knife Party made an album to pander to their average festival-goer, but that's never what they've been about.  Knife Party have always been about pushing the boundaries of EDM, going a little harder than the average listener is comfortable with.  More recently, however, their sound has been becoming a little more careful, like they're trying not to offend anyone.  My advice: offend someone.  Jauz had the guts to make a hard track; follow in his footsteps.  I know it was released first, but Jauz's remix has more plays than every other song on the album combined for a reason.  Overall, "Trigger Warning" feels rushed, and a little bit too careful.  I'll still be picking it up, as I own all of Knife Party's discography, and I don't plan on breaking that tradition, but such a generic album is not high on my priority list.  5/10

Artist Spotlight | Ninth Parallel

Background

Ninth Parallel may only have 6 songs completed (of which only four are available for download and only three on his SoundCloud), but his limited repertoire doesn't keep him from having 7,000 loyal followers and an official release for none other than Porter Robinson himself.  He put out his first track a little over 2 years ago and, while spread out, has been releasing tracks consistently.  With some fantastic tracks in the works (shown off in a couple of incredible previews no longer up on his SoundCloud), Ninth Parallel is definitely a name to look out for.

Spotlight

Ninth Parallel's SoundCloud

Ninth Parallel, while his mixing needs a little work, has no shortage of creative ideas and the resulting works that he's come up with in two short years are nothing short of pieces of art.  "Verloren" is the perfect example of this: it's definitely electronic, but there's no sign of the cookie cutter intro-build-drop-breakdown-drop-outro that plagues club scenes and personal playlists alike.  Each section flows to the next elegantly and without the ever-so-common kick and white noise buildup found in almost every EDM song.  The track itself sound like Madeon and Porter Robinson had a musical child (and Ninth Parallel is quick to mention them as musical influences), and the result is a beautiful, synth-heavy epic.  Speaking of Porter Robinson, Ninth Parallel was asked to and did an official remix for "Sea of Voices" on Worlds, and I actually covered it in the afore linked review.  "Sea of Voices (Ninth Parallel Remix)."  Ninth Parallel sites the remix more as a tribute to Porter Robinson and his music than an actual remix.  The remix sounds fundamentally similar to the original, just without the three minute intro and focuses more on making the climax of the original into the main focus of the song, with extra little sound and melodies here and there.  As a remix, it's very similar to the original, but as a tribute, it's a beautiful work that embodies the work that Porter Robinson does, and at the same time also showcases Ninth Parallel's style and the future he strives for.  And that future is bright: in a series of teasers now removed from SoundCloud and only available on Ninth Parallel's YouTube channel is a teaser for his upcoming song "Infinitum."  While it's only a two minute teaser, it holds nothing back and yet leaves everything to the imagination, or at least to the full release, whenever that is.  The bitcrushed chord stabs in the beginning never fail to evoke chills.  The kicks come in, and that and the fluttering windchime-esque sound in the background create a uniquely spacey feel.  The teaser leaves us hanging with a huge bass hit thats foreboding and yet awe-inspiring.  It's like a giant planet looming on the horizon, balancing between the vast expanse of space and the wonder of the starry night sky.

Ninth Parallel has come a long way in his two short years on the scene, and can only head upward from here.  With three self-released singles and an official remix, it's hard to tell what else Ninth Parallel has in store for us, but the answer can be nothing bad.

The M Machine | Metropolis: The B-Sides

And with this we finally conclude the epic that is "Metropolis."

Background

As you may have read in my previous reviews of this Metropolis masterpiece, The M Machine, formerly Pance Party, are an electronic duo (used to be trio) based in San Fransisco, California.  They made their name known when their debut EP "Promise Me A Rose Garden/Glow" was released on OWSLA, and remained #2 on Beatport for an entire week.  A teaser for their "Metropolis EP," now split into two parts, went viral.  The first part, "Metropolis, Pt. I" released in April 2012, with the second installment, "Metropolis, Pt. II," releasing almost a year later in February 2013.  "Metropolis" as a whole is based on the sci-fi film "Metropolis" and tells the story of the dystopian city of Metropolis.  The B-Sides to Metropolis were just released the week of August 11, 2015, over two years after the two part album released and three after the first installment came out.  "Metropolis: The B-Sides" features six tracks in the classic The M Machine style that didn't fit into the two parts of the actual album.  The album artwork for the B-Sides is a combination of the album artworks for all the parts of Metropolis and the album artwork for "Promise Me A Rose Garden/Glow."

Review

Listen to "Metropolis: The B-Sides"

"Metropolis: The B-Sides" may be two years behind the original work, but it lacks none of the creative insight that The M Machine never fail to bring, despite their more recent work being underground deep house.  The B-Sides start off fresh with "Happy Land," which is really anything but, music-wise at least.  It's got a heavy beat and a strange zipping wobble that drive hard and could easily find a place in an underground club scene.  If four minutes of the same chords were your thing, "Diamonds" would be the perfect track for you.  "Diamonds" doesn't really have much going for it; it gets repetitive real quick.  "Specific Hell," though, is the next track, and it's anything but.  It starts off with a rhythmic drum groove that transitions into a crazy, octave-jumping synth riff which builds as the track runs its seven-minute course.  "Radiolight" is strangely vivid in its portrayal of a broken radio shining beacon of hope in some dark cave.  In reality, it's just some majestic, open chords over a spacey drum beat, but it does a good job of presenting an idea an an image.  The song itself isn't that interesting, but it is a nice cinematic song.  Speaking of cinematic songs, "Space Design" is exactly that.  There are no drums to be heard anywhere in the song, it's just the same chords in differing layers with interesting, albeit strange at times, sounds gracing the vast soundscape.  The space dies as the instruments fade out and just a toybox is left.  "When It's Gone," the last song on the B-Sides, is a nice slow house track worthy of a spot on a Madeon record.  It features unaccredited vocals from who I believe is actually one of the members of the group, but I can't find any sources for that.  Either way, the vocals are really catchy, although not perfectly clean, and they sit atop some chords in a really interesting synth.

Even two years later, "Metropolis: The B-Sides" still brings fresh the memories of the massive work that is Metropolis.  There have been six tracks released, and while that's technically the last of them, The M Machine plans to "package it all together with some bonus tracks/extras/instrumentals and give that away as soon as its ready," according to their Facebook page.  It's been two months since they said that, and I consider "Metropolis: The B-Sides" to be completed, as "When It's Gone," the last track on the EP, is the "the last of the soundcloud b-sides," again, right from the members via Facebook.  There's nothing quite like The M Machine's distinct electro house sound, and for the first taste in two years, it's like a sliver of jerky to a starving man.  There are a few gems on the B-Sides, and they really shine through to any fans of The M Machine that put out Metropolis.  7/10

Sources

Wikipedia | The M Machine

The M Machine | Metropolis Remixed

Background

As you may have read in my previous reviews of this Metropolis masterpiece, The M Machine, formerly Pance Party, are an electronic duo (used to be trio) based in San Fransisco, California.  They made their name known when their debut EP "Promise Me A Rose Garden/Glow" was released on OWSLA, and remained #2 on Beatport for an entire week.  A teaser for their "Metropolis EP," now split into two parts, went viral.  The first part, "Metropolis, Pt. I" released in April 2012, with the second installment, "Metropolis, Pt. II," releasing almost a year later in February 2013.  "Metropolis" as a whole is based on the sci-fi film "Metropolis" and tells the story of the dystopian city of Metropolis.  On The M Machine's website is an illustrated story that goes along with the EP, the third part of which lines up with the Remix EP and can be found here.  "Metropolis Remixed" was released later the same year as the second part of the EP, and features a star-studded lineup of remixers, as well as one original from The M Machine.

Review

Listen to "Metropolis Remixed"

The M Machine have held back nothing when it came to filling their remix EP with some of the hottest names in EDM at the time, and those artists left everything on the album.  "Metropolis Remixed" is a wonderful mix of various styles that perfectly concludes the ideas that the first two EP's started.  The Remix EP starts off strong with Digitalism's remix of "Moon Song," which brings none of the heavy dissonant chords but instead is an upbeat, danceable tune.  Kill The Noise reimagines "Ghosts in the Machine" in a futuristic, lasers, wobbly soundscape of heavy dubstep.  Robotaki takes "A King Alone" and turns it into a happy, and almost tropical, progressive house track reminiscent of "The Veldt" by Deadmau5.  "Data Palace" is an original track, but even then, it's technically a reimagining of "The Palace (feat. Blake Hazard)" which appeared on the second part of the Metropolis EP.  It's a snare-heavy remake, and has a tasty filtered lead synth and a heavy wobble at the drop.  Shinichi Osawa's remix of "Tiny Anthem" is rather slow and interesting, with a house-esque beat (although at a much more relaxed tempo) and an interesting melodic climax with overdriven kicks and a classic acid synth.  Tantrum Desire manages an American-style drum and bass remix of "Schadenfreude" filled to the brim with wobbles, growls, lasers, and more on top of that drum and bass beat we all know and love.  Matt Lange takes "Shadow In The Rose Garden" to a whole another dimension in his chilled out remix, in direct contrast with the synth-heavy dubstep of the original.  He's managed to create an eerie, almost wistful remix full of strange sounds and ethereal synths.  Proxy turned the chill house vibe of the original into a warped out trap remix with his vision of "Faces."  The deep rumble of the 808 vibes perfectly with the bright, fluttery synth on top.  "Black (Trifonic Remix)" closes out the EP and is probably my favorite off it, too.  He takes the bass synth from the original and uses it as a deep accent to an otherwise misty swirl of ambient sound.  This, with the chill trap beat, makes for a unique and reflective track.

The M Machine never lack creativity as they took the lead at the front of the EDM world after signing to OWSLA, and this remix EP, while not directly theirs, continues their legacy in the best of way and brings a fresh slew of ideas to their already fantastic EP duo.  The selected lineup delivered in the best way and kept the legacy of Metropolis going strong.  8/10

Sources

Wikipedia | The M Machine

raybaboon | raybaboon

I know I'm supposed to be finishing up my Metropolis series, but it's a rainy day here and this is a perfect rainy day album.

Background

There's a lot of controversy surrounding raybaboon.  Two years ago, he put up a couple of tracks on SoundCloud.  A year later, he released more tracks, which were compiled into "raybaboon," his self-titled album.  After that, nothing; he hasn't been heard from in over a year.  The controversy surrounding raybaboon doesn't come from this, however.  People believe that raybaboon is Joji, an affectionate name for George Miller, the mind behind the insanely popular shock humour YouTube channel "Filthy Frank," which, among other things, started the Harlem Shake craze.  There's no proof, so anyone claiming one side or the other is just rumor, but, regardless, "raybaboon" is a fantastic album.

Review

Listen to "raybaboon"

It doesn't matter who's behind the album; raybaboon's self-titled release is a perfectly crafted blend of electronic and indie melodies perfect for a rainy day.  Generally speaking, each half of the album falls into either dominantly indie or electronic.  "Everything Falls Apart," "Landing On Mars," and "Picture Frames," the latter of which is my personal favorite off the album, generally are more electronic in sound, while "The Wind," "Where Did I Go," and "Our Love Remains," are very indie and bordering acoustic.  Of course, they'd just be pretty instrumentals without raybaboon's voice.  His lyrical composition is one of the best things about this album.  Each work is more than just a love song; it's a romantic poem.  "Deep sleep aviations, in conversations with constellations / Midnight trepidations, the detonations of self-deprecation," from "Picture Frames," is a fantastic way of wording what otherwise could have been very simple, but raybaboon has turned a sentence into a work of art.  His ability to weave words into works of art is noted all across "raybaboon."  Naturally, the electronic pieces aren't exactly EDM, but are much more relaxed and could almost be entirely acoustic.  "Everything Falls Apart" is a slow ballad with reversed piano and a wobbly sub bass.  "Landing on Mars" gets almost future-y with its lo-fi beat and brassy synth chords.  "Picture Frames" is a slow ballad that has camera sounds accenting the chill, vaporwave drums and beat.  Everything about "Picture Frames" is brilliant, from the relaxed, reflective feel to the chorus that pulls at the heartstrings.  The indie half is equally good.  "The Wind" is a nice indie track with a driving, almost funky bass and crisp drums.  "Where Did I Go" explores nostalgic feelings and is the most upbeat track on the album, in terms of consistent drums and a standard song structure.  The chorus is busy, but very catchy and unique in its inclusion of mallet percussion.  "Our Love Remains" is purely acoustic, and closes out the album with beautiful harmonies atop a simple, repetitive acoustic guitar riff.

It's hard to put "raybaboon" into words perfectly.  Nothing can really describe the art that raybaboon has crafted with his self-titled release.  I've been listening to it almost non-stop since I found it the other day, and it never fails to inspire melancholic feelings within me.  It's a perfect rainy day album and a true piece of art.  I hope that raybaboon reemerges from his period of inactivity and releases new content soon, but until then, I'm more than satisfied with "raybaboon."  9.5/10

Acoustic

Picture Frames [Acoustic]

In addition to the original, raybaboon also released an acoustic version of "Picture Frames."  It's longer, at 6 minutes, slower, but that doesn't stop it from being incredible.  The tight, dissonant chords are much more noticeable in the more prominent guitar line, and the voice and guitar duo is much more personal and intimate, and adds another layer to the already emotional track.  The acoustic version is absolutely stunning.

The M Machine | Metropolis, Pt. II

This is the second part of this post, but I'm also going to be reviewing the remix album and the B-sides.  Stay tuned!

Background

As you may have read in my previous review of this two part EP, The M Machine, formerly Pance Party, are an electronic duo (used to be trio) based in San Fransisco, California.  They made their name known when their debut EP "Promise Me A Rose Garden/Glow" was released on OWSLA, and remained #2 on Beatport for an entire week.  A teaser for their "Metropolis EP," now split into two parts, went viral.  The first part, "Metropolis, Pt. I" released in April 2012, with the second installment, "Metropolis, Pt. II," releasing almost a year later in February 2013.  "Metropolis" as a whole is based on the sci-fi film "Metropolis" and tells the story of the dystopian city of Metropolis.  On The M Machine's website is an illustrated story that goes along with the EP, the second part of which lines up with the second half of the EP and can be found here.

Review

Listen to "Metropolis, Pt. II"

"Metropolis, Pt. II" builds upon what the last part of the EP started and concludes the two-part EP in an epic fashion.  The sounds that this second part feature feel more refined than the first part, and the ideas presented feel like they flow better.  "The Palace (feat. Blake Hazard)" opens up the second part of this epic with some lo-fi chords and a cutting synth lead, with Blake Hazards's vocals balancing on top.  This makes way for some synth-driven and percussion-heavy dubstep that's not commanded by heavy bass, as is usual of dubstep music.  The rest of the song continues in similar fashion.  "Ghosts in the Machine (feat. pennybirdrabbit)" is next, with a slightly-downtempo house-esque track that features an alien lead and realistic drums.  If there was one thing I didn't expect from The M Machine, it was "Tiny Anthem," a very slow (for EDM, at least), almost relaxed track with unaccredited vocals and a very synthpop sound that belongs on a Madeon record.  "Moon Song" starts off huge with incredibly dissonant, mechanical chords that scream "the moon is right here, right now.  Look at it!"  More mysterious vocals accompany the track as it builds into more chords, and then into a driving futuristic percussion-heavy electro groove.  The moon chords return as the song ends.  "Schadenfreude," which is defined as "satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune" by dictionary.com, continues the trend of unnamed vocalists but this time with all the minimalist electro goodness that I've come to expect from The M Machine, even though technically this has a moombahton beat.  Syncopated machine bass hits riddle this track, and in combination with the strange synth sounds make for an enjoyable, danceable track that also feels a bit more threatening than usual.  If there was ever a 9 minute epic, "Luma," which also closes out the album, is it.  It starts off with a beautiful piano piece, which makes way for a reverb-heavy arpeggio.  This finally leads into the first hint of house music, a spacey plucky arpeggio on top of some spacey drums.  We're treated to a wacked-out drop full of lazy lasers and a driving drum groove.  We get cool chords and a cinematic half-time breakdown, and the song ends with more arps and uplifting chords.

"Metropolis, Pt. II" is a fantastic way to close out the Metropolis epic that The M Machine have created.  There's no doubt that in terms of creative electronic club music, "Metropolis, Pt. II" is at the forefront.  It is curious, however, the slight shift in style from part one to part two, but this can be accounted for by the year gap in release.  It's only natural for an artist's style to evolve as they grow musically.  It's in no way a bad change, though, and the second part of the EP is a perfect follow up to the first half.  With "Metropolis, Pt. II," The M Machine prove that they can finish what they started and conclude not just an EP, but a story.  9/10

Notable Remixes

The M Machine | Metropolis Remixed

Interested in a whole bunch of awesome remixes from Metropolis, both parts one and two?  You're in luck, there's a whole album of them picked by The M Machine themselves, so you know they're quality.  Check out my review of the remixes (linked above)!

Sources

Wikipedia | The M Machine