TQS StaffIt is the fag-end of summer and as autumn takes over, here are five bass smashers to set your last summer party on fire:
1. Spectrasoul – Delay No More (Shogun Audio)
Clean, slick, relaxed: these are the adjectives often used to describe Spectrasoul’s sound. Stepping away from the anarchic construction of their previous albums, Spectrasoul has come up with a sophisticated bass driven sound in ‘Delay No More’ and the effect is delightfully poignant. The artist side-steps over several genres and freely incorporates sounds and samples beyond the dubstep comfort zone. The effect is an eclectic mix of sounds that is held together by the driving bass beats.
2. DRS + Enei – Count to Ten (Soul:R)
The frenetic verbal murmurs and drum breaks that open DRS + Enei’s Count to Ten set the tune for the rest of the track, which can only be described in one word: Big. The metal flange in the middle of the melody adds a delicious flavor to what is otherwise a largely drum driven track, and adds a layer of complexity that elevates the track from good to great. Listen:
3. Netsky – Love Has Gone – Enei Remix (Hospital)
Anarchic, loud, and ambitious, Love has Gone from Netsky is driven less by drums and bass and more by the echoes of its flangeing vocal track and the electric piano. Eclectic and frivolous are two words that can be used to describe the sound, which is muddled with many rhythms and intonations of instruments, and strangely pervasive in its melodies. The end result is an auditory drum n bass vinyl delight.
4. Mala – Cuba Electronic (Brownswood Recordings)
Starting soft and slow, Cuba Electronic builds up in volume and intensity as the pulsating drum rhythms take over and drive the song to a feverish crescendo. Echoes of Bongo drums and salsa rhythms peek in through the mist of instruments and sounds, giving glimpse of an eclecticism that is truly unique. The drums remain persistent and form the central thrust of the sound, and also the epicenter of its poignant energy. Listen:
5. Jack Sparrow – Afraid of Me (Deep Medi)
Hushed murmurs rapped over heavy drum beats start off the song, interspersed with the feverish whooshing vocals. Silence is the dominating quality of the song, rearing itself at the edge of every drum beat, every bass solo, ever vocal incantation, and it lends the song a pulsating, stop-go rhythm rarely found in dubstep. Hip-hop inspired, Afraid of Me is a triumphant and delightful track.
