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Noisia’s “Closer” out now

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Back in April of this year – when I covered the Critical Music compilation “20 Years of Underground Sonics”, I mentioned that things might be pretty busy for me in terms of covering interesting bass music releases, because Noisia’s “Closer” was just around the corner, and here we are. They’ve mentioned that it’s their third and final album, and in the days leading up to its release I wasn’t sure where I should set my expectations. Their debut, “Split the Atom”, was a refreshing and energetic approach to electronic music and drum and bass; I still listen to plenty of tracks from the Special Edition release today, and so many tracks were shot through with a distinctive sense of character and identity. This was something I found to be a little lacking in the follow-up album “Outer Edges” – there were still some pretty great tunes (courtesy of Anomaly and The Entangled), but other tracks struggled to find that sense of identity. Layers would be built up and achieve a slow-burn appeal, and then they would be over before there was any kind of payoff. It was a great way for the group to explore a different pace and vibe, but it left me wondering which way Noisia’s “Closer” would go.

Noisia’s “Closer” – a return to form

I needn’t have worried that much, it seems. Noisia’s “Closer” feels much more comfortable finding its groove when compared to Outer Edges, and there are many more tracks that establish their own sense of identity when compared to that difficult second album. In fact, I might go as far as saying that it has more variety than Split The Atom. With “Shutters” you find yourself listening to rapid lo-fi beeps that sound like they’re coming out of an 8-bit micro as they get blended with twee melodies, but then you’re thrown into “Halcyon”; a track with The Upbeats that’s more, well, upbeat, and changes the mood whilst retaining a distinct “Noisia” identity. It’s like the group decided that as this would be their final album they could have a little more fun. That sense of fun – the desire to have more variety and defy expectations – might disappoint those who come into the album expecting a particular sound, but generally I like the result. If you follow Noisia’s updates outside of their main studio album releases you might recoginse some returning tracks: for instance, “Shibuya Pet Store” from the “No Sleep Til… Japan (and Iceland)” Kickstarter project, or “Pleasure Model” (we covered the music video back in 2018.) A particularly bold tune is “The Hole Pt.1”; a complex “17/8” piece whose rhythm creates an unusual but compelling vibe of its own (and almost feels like a musical puzzle as you try to pin down that time signature…)

Worthy finale

If this is the last we hear of Noisia, it’s a great way to go out. I would easily rate this up there with Split The Atom, and the collaborations offer a lot of variety. Beyond Noisia’s “Closer”, I know that the members have individual projects going on (in particular I follow Thijs de Vlieger’s work a lot via his Twitter account @ThysMusic – but I know that Nik Roos and Martijn van Sonderen have accounts at @niknoisia and @ensernoisia respectively), so hopefully you can still enjoy their work in various new ways.

Noisia’s “Closer” – where to go

If you want to check out Noisia’s “Closer” for yourself, it’s available now on most good streaming platforms, you can buy the MP3s from Beatport or Bandcamp, and you can order pre-order the CD or vinyl box (ETA June and December respectively) at the Vision Recordings store.

The Upbeats: Not Forever review

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Usually when I’ve covered new releases by The Upbeats in the past, I’ve talked about their various EPs – Gamma Ray, Punks, the De-Evolution series and Re-Evolution… not to mention Dead Limit, the collaboration with Noisia. At thirteen tracks long, Not Forever is the first album by The Upbeats that I’ve reviewed since the re-launch of Disposable Media. And until now, I never quite knew how beneficial the EP format could be for the previous releases, because I never had a full album to compare them against. Not Forever feels less like a concentrated burst of electronic energy and more like something that’s been given room to breathe and redefine what we think of when we approach new releases by The Upbeats. When I think about the tracks that I remember most fondly in the EPs, I think of fast-paced instrumental intensity –but Not Forever shows that there’s room for much more when you have the luxury of a full album where you’re able to experiment and explore.

Not Forever – accessible but surprising

Not Forever takes the listener to various destinations – a slow number with haunting vocals (“All We’ve Got”), a bumping urban journey with quirky effects that bounce around in the background (“Beams”), a curious instrumental sequence of squelches and twangs (“Bosscorp”) and more besides. As the listener moves from  the punchy bars of Armanni Reign in one track to the indulgent ambience and reverb found in the next, it’s clear that the album is willing to diversify its range beyond the sharp focus found in the EPs. As I listened to these more chilled diversions, I caught myself wondering if this was a move to perhaps appeal to a broad range of listeners, or to become more accessible. After all, even some of their other recent “albums” listed on Spotify have consisted of remixes and collections of EPs (“Re-Evolution” and the “De-Evolution” trilogy) rather than a from-the-ground-up album.

Cover art for Not Forever by The Upbeats

If this is beginning to sound like Not Forever is a bit of a letdown to someone who mainly experienced and enjoyed the EPs, you might want to think again, because the album still shows sparks of that same energy when you least expect it. “Infinity” eases the listener in with lazy beats and autotune vocals, but quickly shifts the tempo up and adds some neat hooks into the blend, and even the aforementioned “All We’ve Got” has a disturbing edge despite the easy-going rhythm. By far my favourite track on the album is “Realm” – this was premiered as a single on Visio Radio back in April, but it still hasn’t lost any of its appeal several months on. A track that establishes itself with some hurried rhythms in the beginning, it only continues to get better after each build-up and drop; as it ends, it vanishes in an echo as swiftly as it arrived.

An ambitious direction

I would have happily enjoyed a full album of songs like “Realm”, but I think that The Upbeats have bigger ambitions than me. The variety on offer across the album suggests that they want all kinds of listeners to come away with their own favourites – there’s a much greater emphasis on vocal contribution, and on providing a range that extends beyond the goals that the EPs had set their sights on in previous years. And I’m sure that many of the more unusual tracks will grow on me and become new favourites of mine. There have been a lot of strong releases from individuals and groups this year, and it’s comforting to know that The Upbeats still have what it takes to make a lapsed fan sit up and take notice.

Not Forever is available now to purchase on Vision Recordings or play on your streaming service of choice.

The Upbeats: Punks EP Review

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With the Punks EP, The Upbeats have released the first new music of theirs I’ve been looking forward to since the De-Evolution series (and Re-Evolution mix collection.) The three EPs that made up De-Evolution had some mixed quality, but the best tracks instantly became regular fixtures on my playlists, so I was always going to be looking forward to whatever they would release in the future. I first heard about the Punks EP around the start of November, and through the various Twitter announcements I was able to catch a few previews from the EP on the Critical Music Soundcloud page. Of course, I had also pre-ordered the digital release of the EP, and after a bit of initial confusion (weird broken downloads and release date uncertainty – iTunes had the release date down as the 27th, Critical Music maintained that it would be released on the 24th), I’ve been able to see how the Punks EP compares to the other releases by The Upbeats…

Punks EP – Hold Down

Punks EP

The opening track of the Punks EP is Hold Down – a track that begins with eerie effects and a menacing build up with rolling drum hits and escalating tones… this then culminates in a slick catchy snare rhythm that’s layered on to the melody as more fills come and go and the track gains a greater sense of urgency. It tends to stick to the main themes that it establishes at the start of the track, and whilst that may not be great news if you weren’t that enthralled by the tone that was set, it’s not a bad way to open the EP. Just over halfway through the track there’s a nice breakdown which builds the beat back up, and whilst the playful rhythms persist throughout, the track never runs the risk of dragging on.

Punks EP – Oddity and Punks

Punks EP

What follows this opener is Oddity, a track that has one of the slower openings of the Punks EP. A fantastic steady beat is joined by meandering wobbly synths, giving a track a lack of urgency and a groovy vibe that keeps the head nodding. Despite the fact that I generally go for tracks with faster tempos (at least when it comes to my favourite tracks by The Upbeats), this combination of slow beats and understated wobbles is a great fit, and the keys that come in later complement the atmosphere of the track extremely well. The title track Punks then follows, and whilst I kind of spoiled this for myself by catching a preview that was tweeted out, it’s lost none of its appeal. It’s a faster track than Oddity but the fast beat and meaty melody sound excellent, especially during the build-ups and the moments where the main hook is altered and played with at times. The only downside I might point out is that it could probably lose a few repeated bars and still be as good.

Punks EP – Ethers

Punks EP

At four tracks long, the Punks EP is somewhat shorter than the De-Evolution releases, and so Ethers is the closing tune; it begins with lingering synths and a low-key bass noise to create a catchy sound, before breaking down and building back up to some rapid beats that contrast the slower effects that fade in and out. It generates a mood unlike the other tracks on the EP, and even plays with a new house-style rhythm a little bit in the middle… before there’s another build-up and it reverts to the original vibe that it had established earlier. In general, the Punks EP doesn’t have as many instantly catchy tracks as the De-Evolution releases, but each track has something memorable about it. If you enjoy the other Upbeats EPs, this is worth listening to.

The Punks EP is out now and can be purchased digitally on iTunes or on Critical Music. You can also stream the album on Spotify.

The Upbeats: Re-Evolution review

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After listening to the three EPs that make up The Upbeats’ De-Evolution series, I found that each one had some average or good tracks and the occasional New Favourite Thing. Whether it was Elevator from the first, Mediums and Babylon from the second, or Veiled from the third, there was always something that I’d enjoy a lot. So when it was revealed that a new remix album – Re-Evolution – was coming in September, I was simultaneously excited and nervous. Seeing a new spin on an old favourite, or an outsider improved by remixing, is always nice… on the other hand, there’s always the risk that those old favourites can be ruined by someone else’s meddling.

Re-Evolution – familiar, but sometimes busy

Re-Evolution

The Malux remix of Dungeon doesn’t fall into this trap. It’s a little less subdued and a little more chaotic, but it still feels familiar enough to make you believe that the original spirit of the song is intact. The intro is slightly more menacing and it seems as though it gets into the action more quickly, but despite being busier and more effects-laden, the majority of the track still sounds as good as the original. Following on from this, Babylon’s Rockwell remix takes one of my favourites from the trilogy – an aggressive, fast, sweary number – and goes for a slightly more low-key approach with bloopy bass after the drop and lingering tones echoing through the intro. The new layers really add to what was already a great framework, and I’d have a hard time deciding whether or not I prefer it over the original.

The next track – Annix’s remix of Dr. Kink – is one that I caught a preview of when browsing Twitter feeds from Vision and The Upbeats. When I first heard the original track I thought that it did enough to hook the listener but lacked variety later on. This has a brand new stuttery rhythm replacing the slower, bigger hits, but still never really does enough with what it has to hold the interest for too long. After this we have Agressor Bunx’s take on Joyrider, which uses the same hooks but with more tuneful components delivering the melody. The beat is also a little busier than before, and much better for it.

Re-Evolution – DOOM is still good

Re-Evolution

The latter half of Re-Evolution opens with DOOM (Black Sun Empire Remix); I praised the original tune’s variety when covering De-Evolution Part 1, and again it seems to be an early favourite of mine when listening to Re-Evolution. The rhythmic high-pitched beeping in the intro is a curious substitute for the more incremental build-up that went before, but it’s not long before everything fades down to fizzling effects and a distant, deep drum about halfway through – and then the familiar tones creep back in and it’s every bit as powerful as before. Along with Babylon it’s one of my favourite remixes, and again it’s hard to say whether I like the remix or the original more.

Wrapping up Re-Evolution is a Memtrix remix of Say Go with a melodic bassy hook that seems to be more toned down from what went before – low rumbling tones replacing the haunting sounds of the original. The album then closes with Prism (Emperor remix), which deserves credit for getting through the intro a little faster and having a more interesting rhythm and hook than the “slow but steady” arrangement I mentioned in my coverage of the original track.

In any case, Re-Evolution does a lot with only seven tracks; the best original tunes have variations that are equally as good, and that alone almost makes up for things like the Dr. Kink remix. If you enjoyed the De-Evolution series, this is worth getting hold of.

Re-Evolution is out now and can be purchased digitally on iTunes or Vision Recordings. You can stream the album on Spotify here.

The Upbeats: De-Evolution Part 3 EP Review

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Back in September of 2015 I covered the collaborative album from Noisia and The Upbeats named Dead Limit – I had enjoyed a lot of Noisia tracks in the past but wasn’t so familiar with The Upbeats, but following the review I started keeping a closer eye on the electronic group from Kiwi. Through news on twitter lists I discovered The Upbeats’ De-Evolution series; I covered parts 1 and 2 here and here, finding that there were a few tracks that didn’t go anywhere but also some killer standout tracks that I still listen to if I’m out and library shuffles just aren’t doing it for me. It’s those standouts that have kept me interested in De-Evolution Part 3, said to be the final part of the series. My digital download became available on Friday afternoon (sadly the Vision Recordings store has no option to buy the trilogy on CD; the only options are digital and vinyl) and my early impressions are that it’s eager to impress but is a fitting close to the trilogy.

De-Evolution Part 3 – Cauldron and Prism


The opening track, Cauldron, is full of big bass, slick beats and great drops. The main bassy hook gets under your skin fairly easily whilst the tempo shifts from slow build-ups to quick snare rolls and steady but unrelenting beats. It’s definitely the kind of thing that you’d be able to annoy next-door neighbours with, and the as the lingering bass buzz makes way for warbly keys about two minutes in, the track transitions into another build up and drop before bringing everything back for the latter half. It might not be hugely inventive, but it’s a lot of fun, and a good start for the EP. The next track on De-Evolution Part 3, Prism, has gentle yet eerie effects easing you into the intro, as well as a distorted vocal that later gets lost in amplified synth effects just before a steady but catchy beat and bouncy melody come in. It’s definitely one of the slower tracks I’ve heard in the De-Evolution series, but it gets the head nodding, even if it’s not quite as exciting as those standouts I mentioned in the opening paragraph. It does slightly pick up the pace later on with a quicker and more playful drum track layered on to the rest of it, and it could be a great track to lose yourself in after a hectic day. Or something.

De-Evolution Part 3 – Veiled and De-Evolution

One track that certainly got the foot tapping was Veiled, an early contender for the highlight of De-Evolution Part 3 (in my personal opinion), sharing glory with Elevator from part 1 and Mediums from part 2. The echoes and wobbles at the start may not be that exciting, and it takes its time building up the track with pounding kicks and retro sounding synths but when it all comes together it’s haunting, catchy and amazing. Oh, and it finishes at a logical place too, rather than going around the build-ups and drops again or overstaying its welcome. I already got a chance to listen to the title track, as “De-Evolution” was revealed on the Bassrush website in late February – it’s a nice serving of multi-layered dirty bass amongst great beat loops and fills, transforming towards the end into something more low-key but still bursting with energy.

De-Evolution Part 3 – the end

The penultimate track, A Place For You, has a gorgeous vocal from Sylvee and a slower beat, but even though it’s not drum and bass mayhem it’s still nice to listen to – layering on plenty of echoed vocals, soft synth-y sounds and intentionally muffled beeps – and fits really well with the rest of De-Evolution Part 3. Things are brought to a close with Streetlight, which has very little bass noise but a busy rhythm and plenty of keys and melodies layered on to create a satisfying whole. In general, if you liked previous releases in the De-Evolution series you should definitely pick this up. And if you’re new to the series, each release has something on there to recommend, so look them up on Spotify today.

Listen to the entirety of Noisia’s Outer Edges on YouTube

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If you haven’t bought Outer Edges by Noisia and feel like checking out the album online without the interruptions you might get on, say, a free Spotify account, there might still be a solution. Earlier this week their official twitter account announced that, following requests from fans, you can now listen to the entirety of Outer Edges on Youtube; the group have uploaded the entire album to the Noisia YouTube channel as one continuous video. This means that anyone with an internet connection can now drive the entire break room/office/household (delete as applicable) nuts with the bass noise of Mantra, the slick beats of Anomaly or other sounds from any of the other tracks on the album.

Outer Edges on YouTube – worth listening to again

Outer Edges on Youtube

However, I know what you’re thinking. I’m rambling about Outer Edges on Youtube even though I decided to lay into the album in my original review? Admittedly, I still think that Split The Atom is better in terms of overall quality, and Outer Edges didn’t have quite so many standout tracks that resonated with me… However, it’s still definitely worth listening to if you get the chance, and there are plenty of tunes that other listeners might enjoy more than I did. Having Outer Edges on YouTube will allow more people to make their mind up, and I’m definitely going to go back to it from time to time (despite having the CD on a nearby shelf and being able to get high quality rips… but the YouTube version is at least a bit more convenient.)

Outer Edges on YouTube – additional content

Outer Edges on Youtube

The complete video comes in at a little under 59 minutes, so there’s a lot of content there to enjoy. The video doesn’t really have much in terms of visual content – abstract shades of grey moving around within the letters of each song’s name – but you’re probably going to have the YouTube window on another tab whilst you do other things anyway, and if you want official videos you can look around the Noisia YouTube channel for the ones that are available. Otherwise, enjoy nearly an hour of fancy Noisia noises at the link below.

You can find the Outer Edges video on YouTube here – and if you want to read my original review, you can do so here

The Upbeats: De-Evolution Part 2 EP Review

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De-Evolution Part 2 is a new EP released by The Upbeats on August 5th. If you recall, Disposable Media covered De-Evolution Part 1 last April and concluded that even though some of the tracks were quite “safe”, it made for a generally satisfying whole and people will find at least one favourite track on there (Disposable Media still hasn’t got tired of listening to Elevator.) I wasn’t certain about when part 2 would be coming, but around the end of July I found news about the release. Lasting around 23 minutes, this five-track EP still has plenty to enjoy and moves at a frenetic pace; if you were a fan of part 1, this collection of tracks is pretty easy to recommend.

De-Evolution Part 2 – Mediums and Joyrider

De-Evolution Part 2

The opening track of De-Evolution Part 2 is Mediums, and it was one of the first tracks I heard after The Upbeats shared it on their soundcloud page so that fans could stream it. Mediums kind of picks up where the final track from De-Evolution Part 1 (Elevator) left off – in both tracks the pace is nice and fast, the rhythms are great, and there’s enough variety in the tracks that they never feels too repetitive. Mediums even has a quiet interlude some three minutes in that helps to break things up, and the track is over before you start to think it’s at risk of outstaying its welcome.

The next track – Joyrider – continues the theme of big beats and fat bass noise, but not before it eases the listener in with a rapid succession of gentle beeps, some distant orchestral hit-style sounds and then some intro noise before the first big build-up works its way up to the drop. It’s an impressive escalation, and the payoff comes in the form of hard and fast drums that are set to a rather unique rhythm that is nevertheless easy to get behind. Having said that, the track doesn’t go through as much change and variation as some might like – there’s a brief moment of respite where the drums are taken out, but afterwards it returns to the themes that had already been established before.

De-Evolution Part 2 – Say Go

De-Evolution Part 2

Say Go begins with distant chants, rich ambience and moody vocals from Mara Tk that continue to permeate the track after the beat drops. It makes for a pretty good sound, and the instruments do a good job of keeping things interesting as the main rhythm is taken out and brought back. That being said, it’s a track that shows everything it has to offer fairly quickly, and some might thing that it’s a little plain. I’m undecided myself, but there’s a chance that it’s the kind of thing that would improve with repeat listens.

De-Evolution Part 2 – Babylon and No Surprises

Just like Elevator turned out to be my favourite track from De-Evolution Part 1, I can’t help but feel that some of the best material in De-Evolution Part 2 can be found towards the end of the EP. Babylon has quite an unassuming intro that’s given some flavour thanks to the involvement of Orifice Vulgatron, but once the first vocal is over the track winds down a little before building up to one of the best beats on the EP. The fast rhythm and varied effects do enough to get heads nodding and as the track continues it never loses its momentum or gets too samey. There’s also a great shift in rhythm during the final minute or so of the track which is easy to appreciate.

De-Evolution Part 2

The final track of the album – No Surprises – may be the shortest track of the five, but it’s still pretty good. It begins with melodic beeps and a deep, steady rhythm that soon makes way for faster beats that settle into a good rhythm whilst the melodies and effects create a great atmosphere and bring the RP to a satisfying close. As I mentioned, this EP is well worth listening to if you enjoyed part 1, and at the time of writing it’s available on Spotify if you want to check a stream first.

The Upbeats: De-Evolution Part 1 EP Review

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De-Evolution Part 1 is a new EP released by The Upbeats last Friday on Vision Recordings. You might remember Disposable Media featuring The Upbeats’ collaboration with Noisia – titled “Dead Limit” – in September of last year, and when I heard about De-Evolution Part 1 on Noisia’s Twitter feed I headed over to the nearest Spotify stream. Generally I’m more familiar with Noisia’s music than that of The Upbeats, but the quality of the material featured on Dead Limit piqued my interest enough to listen to De-Evolution Part 1 anyway. Happily, the five-track EP is 25 minutes of varied and energetic drum and bass, and you never get the feeling that any of the tracks really outstay their welcome.

De-Evolution Part 1 – Dr. Kink and Pharoah

De-Evolution Part 1

De-Evolution Part 1 opens with Dr. Kink and an almighty 45-second intro that is successful in building anticipation for the initial beat drop. Fast hi-hats, steady snares and escalating tones are then introduced and lead up to some vicious synths and big beats. The track isn’t insanely speedy or busy but it gets its hooks in fairly successfully and throws in more buildups and “epic intro” reuse later in the song. I admit that Dr. Kink doesn’t really have a huge amount of variety but it’s still catchy enough to serve as background music for whatever you happen to be doing.

The second track “Pharaoh” is a collaboration with electronic trio Ivy Lab and is definitely one of the less aggressive tracks on De-Evolution Part 1 – soothing sounds at the beginning of the song set the mood moments before the beat comes in, but it still doesn’t transition into madness, instead just offering steady build-ups and an almost hypnotic melodic hook that is transformed and tweaked in various ways throughout the song. It’s not the most creative track around but it’s still pretty inoffensive and provides a nice moment of calm before the noise that follows.

De-Evolution Part 1 – DOOM

DeEvolution2

De-Evolution Part 1 is quick to bring back the aggressive tones and big beats in “DOOM”, starting with weird effects amongst silence before bringing in an onslaught of drum and bass excellence – powerful kicks and snares set to a curious rhythm, plenty of distorted noise and layers of “cleaner” tones in places… it all creates a pretty satisfying whole, and there’s enough variety in the structure of the song that it never feels samey and is generally pretty interesting. Again, there’s another build up to a second drop about halfway through the song but it works well, and whilst it’s not my favourite track from De-Evolution Part 1 there’s lots to recommend here.

De-Evolution Part 1 – Dungeon and Elevator

The following track “Dungeon” wastes little time in setting the mood – curious reverb plinks, steady three-note melodies and chords fool you into thinking that there might not be much to this track but eventually everything gives way to another build-up sequence leading to big beats and dirty bass. Again, it’s not really paced at an insane tempo but there are some great fills and interludes that help to keep things interesting. By now I was starting to think that De-Evolution Part 1 had moments of greatness amongst a billion huge build-ups, but the final track “Elevator” turned out to be a surprise favourite.

DeEvolution1

Whilst it’s structurally fairly similar to the other tracks, the general tone and mood of the track is somewhat more – no pun intended – upbeat than everything else, and it stands out amongst other tracks that have more darkness, or strangeness, or aggression to them. I think De-Evolution Part 1 is varied enough that most fans of this type of music are likely to come away with at least one favourite, and if you have 25 minutes to spare it’s worth heading over to Spotify or checking the Soundcloud embed below so that you can make your own mind up.

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