October 2024 new EDM

October NEW EDM: Virtual Riot, Charli xcx, San Holo and more!

Singles

Albums/EPs

10/11 = Charli XCX - brat and it's completely different but also still brat

- With the brat summer ending we now enter the brat remix album Fall and although I don't like the name this is some of the most unique work ever. Normally when people make remix albums or remixes they just throw the collaborator on the 2nd verse of the song and have them sing some bullsht backing vocals in the chorus or they just contact some producer and they cook up some generic slap house that completely ruins the chorus lmao.

- Before we get into that let's talk about the roster, notably Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Lorde, Kesha, Troye Sivan, Bon Iver, and kinda Dua Lipa. There's also Bladee and a lot of other names that are represented which is really cool to see and a lot of names I recognize, however I really wanted a Rosalia collab idk why I just think that would hit, also an actual formal Dua Lipa track where she isn't doing some voice demo speaking French and Spanish would hit too. But when all things are said and done, she definitely exceeded expectations when it came to the roster I just wish it couldve been more perfect lol.

- Many of these tracks have literally different identities and are very separate tracks from their original counter part. You listen to talk talk with Troye Sivan and they literally throw away the whole identity and branding of that epic catchy chorus it's crazy. But then they add some crazy dance house with these bouncy synths and it's just an amazing blending of elements it's such an incredible single my one complaint is that it's too short. Also, the Apple remix with the japanese house is literally so different it's like more laid back I remember trying to figure out how this is not just a separate song than the original. Like it's really counterintuitive in the pop scheme when you see "Apple featuring the japanese house" and it's not just the japanese house getting a verse whilst mainintaing the core structure and drops of the song. It's really crazy and I love it because Charli xcx executes these themes so well and it's just more unique innovative brat-themed music for everyone to enjoy. With that being said there are more straightforward remix approaches, like the "guess" and "girl so confusing" remixes. But like literally the majority of these tracks have whole different instrumentations, transitions, and intros/outros. It's really something special. I have to shout out that offbeat adlib and shortened bar measure transition into that drop or whatever they did im too lazy to break it down in "Club classics featuring bb trickz" like HOLY COW LMAO it catches you so offguard but it's so incredible and unique it literally goes from the skrillex wub and attaches this offbeat adlib that sounds so wrong and they shorten the measure or something so it feels like the music just tripped over itself into these crunchy pulsing chords and chops. Like you do not hear music like this man. I love it.

- Now there's some sleeper songs in here for sure, but there's so many bangers and I really liked this album and its tracks more than the original. With brat I was really caught awake for Charli xcx and she really went on my radar, it took some time I remember my first listen thrus didn't have incredible impressions because I never really had high standars for Charli xcx. Also, many of these remixed tracks are just for me objectively better than their original, they're upgrades. For example "guess", "girl so confusing", "b2b", "Mean girls", and "Sympathy is a knife" are just like literally objectively better with these features it's almost like it's what the original was missing. These tracks feel more drawn out, less repetitive, contain more of a storyline to them, and like just the production is not as spacey and the moments of synth/bass/chord-chromatic abrasiveness just carry more intention to them. These tracks are so much more dynamic. There's so much to talk about for this album I just have to stop. I'm definitely having a tough time deciding a rating for this album because it's the best remix album I've ever seen.

Rating = 8.5/10

Favorite Tracks = "Talk talk featuring troye sivan", "Guess featuring billie eilish", "Club classics featuring bb trickz", "Spring breakers featuring kesha", "B2b featuring tinashe", "Sympathy is a knife featuring ariana grande", "Mean girls featuring julian casablancas", "Girl so confusing featuring lorde"

10/11 = Glacier - here (not rly) there

- Glacier's debut album is here and it's a lifelike blatantly obvious woods-inspired somber cut. I'm a big fan of Glacier's abilities on the keys along with many of his tracks, vocals, pacing, and production, and he doesn't miss on this record here.

- It's deeply cohesive within the raw keys, pulsing instrumentation, and array of woodwinds. The whole album kinda flows together and it works really well and there's many progressions that sound the same within each other. There's also lots of great moments and details that call for a second listen thru sometime in the future, but for now my favorite tracks are "pining", "drifting through", and "we belong right here".

Rating = 7/10

Favorite Tracks = "pining", "drifting through", "we belong right here"

10/11 = HALIENE - Water

- Singer/Songwriter/Producer HALIENE has come out with some solo work and a 5-track EP that's just some forgettable melodic bass melodic dubstep trance stuff. Most of these drops are really mid, and HALIENE's vocals are so generic in the EDM landscape like you hear this breed of vocals everywhere in commercial house and this type of commercial melodic dubstep tracks. You definitely get sick of her vocals like 4 songs deep into the EP. I really did like "Castled In The Sand" that was the best track on this EP there were some really great production choices and embellishments on the drops. The Kill The Noise collab with the 6/8 was also solid. Just that I got sick of her voice so like yeah rip. Yeah I really get sick of her voice it's just too thick to be hearing it for 99% of the songs, it dominates the verses and supports the 2nd half of the each drop so by the time you're at the outro and she sings for another 16 bars you just want the song to end lmao.

Rating = 3/10

Favorite Tracks = "Castles In The Sand"

10/17 = Conro - Violet Sky

- I was pleasantly surprised with a random Conro EP and Conro has some really classic monstercat bangers, just his vocal progressions and melodies are so catchy along with his signature sweeping breaks that really put everything together.

- We have a rather laid-back collection of tracks here. The EP starts out pretty strong with a thematic opener that contains hints and foreshadowing of melodies to come, i really like when EPs LPs do that, its like watching the theme song in the beginning of an episode or like a trailer to the EP.

- However there's just sleeper picks among these tracks and the classic Conro charm is kind of gone and instead replaced with this these drawn out progressive deep house, and these tracks in its core just can use so much more songwriting or tension, the potential is there but the execution isn't great.

- Now with that being said "Somebody With You" is a really solid single, I really liked that track and its worth, but apart from that, these drops just are so downtempo and everything. Honestly disappointed, with a new Conro EP should be some really fire tracks but hopefully he redeems himself in the future.

Rating = 5/10

Favorite Tracks = "Somebody With You"

10/18 = Virtual Riot - Stealing Fire

- View my featured album review for Stealing Fire here: https://cavs4tw.blogspot.com/2024/11/virtual-riot-stealing-fire-album-review.html

Rating = 8.5/10

Favorite Tracks = "Stealing Fire", "Nights On Fire (2024)", "Reconnect", "Ridiculous", "Scorched Earth", "Need / Get", "New Energy", "Dino Killer", "Star Destroyer", "Holding On To Smoke", "Believe What You Want", "Embark", "Give in to you", "VROOM"

10/18 = Rezz, X1-Y2 - NOVUS

- Coming fresh off a Virtual Riot collab, Rezz teams up with X1-Y2 for a quick 4-track midtempo EP. Now I'm a big midtempo enjoyer and this Rezz album just doesn't hit. A lot of these tracks just feel dull, and the transitions are really bad i don't know how to quite describe them. Like first of all "PROXIMATE" is just pure noise there's no cohesion its so messy everywhere you cant listen to that track properly, that track is literally trash category.

- And the rest of these tracks are the result of a combination of being too basic, horrible transitions, lack of progressions (so many of these tracks could literally use an octave jump to improve these bars).

- Really bad album honestly for me, like it's really hard to mess up midtempo but it's just too cluttered with the mixing and everything I mentioned before. And it doesn't help with how repetitive these structures are, it is it just emphasizes how bad these drops are.

Rating = 2.5/10

Favorite Tracks = None

10/18 = Ace Aura - Ephemeral

- Ace Aura has come out with his 2nd EP this year on Disciple and thats when I realized that thats how Ace Aura's system works where he releases like 2/3 singles and then just releases a random EP and this is his 9th EP lmao so all of his singles are effectively in EPs, none of them stand alone. It's kinda similar to taylor swift discography where she only has a select few of like TV show songs or collabs that aren't in here 11 studio albums.

- Anyway, this is just some more quintessential ace aura metallic dubstep with occasional marimba supports. A huge focus on production and less focus on vocals. None of these progressions really click to me or like have that teminite-level story and emotion to them, which is common for ace aura songs. Still these were some enjoyable tracks that really cemented more of Ace Aura's sound design into my head. I hope he does more collabs esp with skybreak lol. I REALLY love how Ace Aura embraces those Marimbas, you don't see like any producers these days using producers and to pair it with psytrance/heavy-dubstep is so ambitious i respect it so much I love marimbas they're so beautiful just that wooden sound quality.

Rating = 6/10

Favorite Tracks = "Vapor"

10/18 = ISOxo - KGM(irl)*

- Here is ISOxo's DLC or extended or remix album of last year's Kid's Gone Mad! and I'm not too familiar cuz I didn't really listen to it that much. I don't even know why I listened to this DLC but I did and I debated putting it on this blog post and I wa sjust like whatever it doesnt hurt

- So yeah I mean i dont have the originals to refernce but these are some serviceable remixes and flips. I could tell it was the classic ISOxo kids gone mad tone maintained though. No standout tracks though, my favorite was the one with fussy on vocals.

Rating = 5/10

Favorite Tracks = "STARsound (pt 2)"

10/25 = what is life? EP

- San Holo has shifted towards a new genre he calls "wholesome riddim" which is quite self-explanatory. This 7-track EP is San Holo's most solid, intentional, and intimate work. There's lots of these howling synths everywhere along with very sentimental chord progressions and this muffled electronic kit thats present throughout the EP. It's actually quite similar to last year's EXISTENTIAL DANCE MUSIC in terms of atmosphere and mood. Just intensified.

- For me, most of these drops and melodies don't really hit, it's just too laid-back and the melody construction could use some work. There's some nice transitions but the "disappear" drop among others have lots of artistic expression but it's just annoying and lackluster to me. I do really love the verse in "it's all happening" it's super catchy, but throughout this EP there's not many signature 'San Holo' drops and progressions that give this EP the life it deserves.

Conclusion

We have HUGE releases and returns with first off all that Grant single "Lush" on Monstercat but also this Virtual Riot album which is just so big. I've waited so long for this this is a HUGEEE ALBUM.

I also want to talk about the Knock2 single "hold my hand" which is a very drawn out melodic/electro house tune. He's been playing it to close out his sets and he finally releases it on Spotify. You never really hear these spacey, patient types of pacing from Knock2, and it works quite well. The drop is also more melodic and progressive. Really unique track here from Knock2 as it also confirms the 2nd single of an upcoming album. The first single "feel U luv Me" was already so incredible, Knock2 is on a generational run right now taking over the EDM/bass-house/rave landscape. I thought he peaked in 2023 but he just continues to polish and embrace his sound in new ways.

Also, Rose and Bruno Mars released "APT." which just took over the world in streaming and tiktok and everything and I was tempted to put it in the fire category but the prechorus sounds so commercial just structurally, the chorus is catchy but also kinda annoying for me (sorry!), but the bridge is what makes me always hesitate. The bridge is incorporated so well it's so amazing how they manage to go from that goofy chorus to having this drawn out movement with big swings and sweeping instrumentation everywhere and it just fits in so well, and that final grand chorus with all the backing vocals and fills are so amazing. And I also love 2007-style genre and Bruno's role here, he really did put his fingerprints on this track through the instrumentation and production choices. You know what relisteing to that bridge, it's so good I'm moving this track to fire and not discussing this again. Bro I moved this track from fire to great back to fire back to great and now im moving it back LMAO OK NO MORE IM JUST KEEPING IT HERE.

And to finish the month off we have a new Bizarrap track with Duki which is a rly solid track, love the direction the production takes as the backseat throughout the song and the vocals too. Bizarrap hasn't dropped since like April or something so yea its been a while I wonder what hes been doing. Then we have The Weeknd dropping "São Paulo" on Halloween which is this brazilian phonk reggae type production with these blaring acid staticy basses everywhere. I don't think everyone expected this from The Weeknd in his 3rd single but here we have this super uncharacteristic track from the Weekend like I was literally waiting for the beat to drop and turn to drift phonk like a RAIZHELL track I was so intrigued. It's such an experimental track and quite random from such a huge artist but The Weeknd dont gaf. The progressoin doesn't really click with me though, the vocals are just so much filler and the hook is kinda catchy but I've heard better brazilian phonk. That ending just shoving everything in ur face is also quite unique.

Updated Rankings

As of the end of September, here were the top 10 tracks of the year:

Teminite - Yours [March]
Skybreak, Sharks & LÚTHIEN - Out of Frame [May]
Skybreak & Keepsake - Comet [May]
Porter Robinson - Is There Really No Happiness? [July]
YOUNG MIKO || BZRP Music Sessions #58 [Jan]
Zedd, Mesto - Descensus (feat. Dora Jar) [August]
Vylet Pony - Facing Oblivion to Become the Lode Star [July]
Netrum - Always Be [August]
Taylor Swift - I Can Do It With a Broken Heart [April]
Derpcat, Psyuri - Bloom [May]

Now updated:

Teminite - Yours [March]
PIKASONIC - Factory [July]
Skybreak, Sharks & LÚTHIEN - Out of Frame [May]
Skybreak & Keepsake - Comet [May]
Porter Robinson - Is There Really No Happiness? [July]
YOUNG MIKO || BZRP Music Sessions #58 [Jan]
Zedd, Mesto - Descensus (feat. Dora Jar) [August]
Vylet Pony - Facing Oblivion to Become the Lode Star [July]
Knock2 - feel U luv Me [September]
Virtual Riot - Stealing Fire [October]

With this month comes Virtual Riot's Stealing Fire and Charli xcx's brat deluxe album, yet we have new entrances from previous months. Let's talk about that first, PIKASONIC's "Factory" is such a sensational track, it's just pure EDM to its core. It's a mastery of a progression, the buildups and leads are so perfect, and the drop is so nostalgic. It curates this feeling that makes you want to cry it's such a beautiful melody with this jumpy production that contrasts back and forth with these piano movements that act as such a nice transition. This track is just such a raw form of progression which I value so much in music. I love music with a good progression, good melody, and generally if it's a happy/upbeat track too. This track maxes out these stats to the tee. Just nothing about the lead is repetitive, it doesn't do too much, and PIKASONIC and this style of electrohouse is just so nostalgic it's crazy, it gives me chills, it's just a perfectly constructed track with the perfect ear candy, fills, progression, melody, outro, and synthesizers. All with no vocals or lyrics, this is EDM at it's purest, and I might push it all the way to the #1 spot but I need a month to decide on that because I only discovered this track in October somehow.

Then that Knock2 track of "feel U luv Me", I don't know why I didnt put it in last month but I'm glad I remembered to do so. I love this track so much for just how you can tell Knock2 didn't hold back when producing this track, this is HIS sound at its fullest, he just fully embraces it, this is classic iconic Knock2 production. Those raw moments with the piano, which contrasts to the classic iconic Knock2 build and fakeout into that haven of a lead. That vocal lead is so incredible it acts as the identity of the track and I just love how it's processed, the melody is then responded with this legato section that rounds it out so well and just adds to the progression so well. Then the classic drawn out post drop which builds on the progression is great and overall just for these reasons and how these drops are paced is just such a characteristic Knock2 track and the sample placements add to the 'aura' of the track. Also in Knock2 he sets up B-sections as if the track's about to end (like in rock your world) but he just jumps everything back into place and puts all these elements into one final grand drop to really celebrate the track he created, it truly is unique and surreal, Knock2 continues to take over the EDM landscape and I love that so much for him because he's such a better representation than all those melodic bass sadboi artists like illenium, seven lions, slander william black etc.

Then Virtual Riot rightfully sneaks into that 10th spot with his thriller of a title track in "Stealing Fire", just an insane, mindblowing flow and blending of electronic samples, chops, stabs, and genres. The mixing is beautiful and so clean, and VR is really at the top the game when it comes to sound design and these elaborate drumstep/dubstep/riddim breakdowns. These rhythms and syncopations in that 2nd drop is absolute nuts, and there's only 9 tracks this year that beats this. That bumps the Netrum track and Taylor Swift out of the top 10 sadly, and now looking at this list man this list is STACKED like holy cow what a lineup, this is really shaping up to be something special. Now with no Charli xcx entrance I do have to shout her out, that remix album won me over, theres so many bangers in that remix album and I really hope to hear Charli experiment with these sort of acid bass hyperpop electro house dance house genres more in the future.

Top 5 albums as of end of September:

7/26 = Smile :D - Porter Robinson
7/11 = Girls Who Are Wizards - Vylet Pony
8/30 = Telos - Zedd
9/27 = Find My Way - Trivecta
4/12 = Mechanomorphic - Mr. Bill

Now updated:

7/26 = Smile :D - Porter Robinson
7/11 = Girls Who Are Wizards - Vylet Pony
8/30 = Telos - Zedd
10/11 = brat and it's completely different but also still brat - Charli xcx
10/18 = Stealing Fire - Virtual Riot

Now visualized:

VR's Stealing Fire lands at the #5 slot while Charli xcx hits the 4th slot. I like this ordering a lot, not much to complain or question about for me.

And that wraps up a really solid month of EDM, definitely a top 5 month maybe a top 3 month. I'll see you guys when we finish November!

Lyric(s) of the Post:

"When I, club, yeah, I'm (bumpin' that)

When I'm at the house, yeah, I'm (bumpin' that)

365, party girl (bumpin' that)

365, party girl (bumpin' that)"

Charli xcx, Bb trickz - Club classics featuring bb trickz

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