Continuing his fearlessly unique manner of fusing genres and tones, Erik Engelhardt further elevates his audio identity, with the unorthodox yet mighty presentation of a fast-paced and celebratory Happy Again.
On the surface we’re welcomed by an unusual meeting of distorted rock guitars, live drums and quick-fire electronically programmed strings. As the five-minute composition evolves though, the style takes far more of a back seat in favour of the overall mood and moving nature of the music.
Engelhardt is quite the master of contrast, and here we get bursts of intensity and energy juxtaposed by those of brief quiet and calm. The result is a set-up familiar for its rise and fall, the anticipation and the drop, but also completely unrecognisable for its blending of everything from heavy effects to vocal choir samples to the sheer pace and catchy presence of this repeating, long-form melodic riff.
That last point is key, actually, in making Happy Again something of an unmistakable soundtrack – instantly distinguishable once you’ve heard the joyous gratitude and brightness of that tune. Throughout the mix, Erik reinforces the power of these emotions, with effective structuring and waves of weight and lightness intermittently.
Beautifully crafted, in short, and really well-written – a memorable track that’s surprisingly catchy and near-euphoric at its fully-loaded peak.
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