Bass is Pumpin is everything the title implies – BlackLight has crafted a professionally finished and creatively vibrant piece of classic dance music that carefully walks the line between retro and contemporary.
Producer
Where the experimental aspect has given the piece character and allowed it to stand out, those essential musical building blocks within present a clear knowledge of what works in composition, so there just as many addictive and satisfying riffs and flickers of colour as there are instances of the unexpected.
Where it’s often possible to listen to a variety of electronic music these days and pick out certain recognisable layers, in this case – CosmiWave offers up an arena of genuinely unorthodox yet perfectly satisfying elements.
Those happy hardcore vibes are partly nostalgic, but the synths and the way these have been intertwined – even the way they fall back to allow the vocal to shine once again – everything has been arranged with a clear understanding of how effective dance music works.
Classic dance music in the depth of the night is the blanket under which this kind of release naturally settles. As always, there are flickers of inspiration from across the globe, not least of all shown through the vocal fragments that are in Zulu – these are actually the names of spices, a quirky nod to the track’s title and underlying concept.
The concept implied is that of peacefulness without possessions – the idea that these ‘things’ we collect and value throughout our lives are perhaps not the key to genuine tranquility; even that they’re often a hindrance to it.
It’s the strength of that bass-line, that thick riff pulsating throughout – this is what you notice, what you take away with you after listening; what you ultimately miss when the silence comes crashing in.
To choose just one song from this collection would be like using only one colour from the pallette to create your latest painting. The playlist in full is where the real experience comes from – an absolute pleasure to stumble upon and well worth journeying into.
Jcarbonell collaborates with ANNA for this release, a song that skillfully balances soulful melodic expression with dreamlike trip hop and an underlying sense of depth and awakening.
A superb bass-line and some thoughtfully chosen synths and samples help make this an easy hit. Lightly soulful, breathy vocals offer the finishing touches and the driving factor behind the song’s ideas and that subtle ear-worm of a melody.
The original idea was one that could be interpreted in a number of ways, and this EP of remixes is a blissful testament to that.
Consequences is a smooth yet dark RnB track with an indie edge and some superb production. Grassett and LUURK alike bring an expressive and professional approach to the project, and the music is all the more immersive as a result.