EDM

If I asked you to like and follow the blog, Would You? It’s time for your Thursday post!

Halogenix, a moniker for a guy simply known as Laurence, is an EDM DJ and Producer, from North London, who is currently signed to Critical Music and he is managed by Primary Talent. There isn’t much background information available about him, as he likes to carry the 90’s traditions of an electronic music artist remaining hidden from the general public eye. “Would You?” is a single from “Gaslight”, a 4-track EP, which was released by Critical Music Records on June 7th, 2019. A few of his regular collaborators include SOLAH, Shades, and Noisia. He has also worked alongside Drum & Bass legend Goldie and Wilkinson, as well as produced remixes for Maverick Sabre, The Glitch Mob and Banks. He was nominated in the “Best Production” category at the Drum & Bass Arena Awards of 2017 and he was also a member of Ivy Lab, a UK Drum & Bass trio who were influential within the indie dance scene of 2018.

“Would You” has an altered electronic drum beat, which bounces and winds with the ever-shifting and dynamically altering synth melodies as the vocals twist and contort underneath the electronic instrumentation of the track. It’s a very calm and relaxing track to listen to, even if the low-pitched modulation of the vocals add a slightly darker mood of paranoia to the overall sound. It is a track that flips between a light and dark ambient texture, while pulling influences from more obscure genres, such as the Acid House and Vaporwave circuits. The track rolls along at a good pace and the stylistic arrangement is very reflexive. This captures the ethereal context of the track. I feel the signature beat is a little bit conventional and it gets a bit tiring at 5 minutes, so I would have refined the track slightly to make it feel a bit tighter. However, it’s still a very decent track that feels right at home at house parties or late-night festival slots.

Pictured: Cover Artwork For “Gaslight” EP (2019)
Pictured: Halogenix (Laurence), performing at a live gig, taken from the Critical Music Records biography page

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at a Karaoke Classic pop track from 1972 that…, well, if you’re so vain, then you’d probably think this song is about you! If you liked what you just read, then please go ahead and follow the blog to get notified when every daily new post is up and like the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

It’s Tuesday and that means it’s time for a new blog post of astronomical proportions!

“Rocket Fuel” is the brand new single from DJ Shadow & De La Soul, which is set to appear on Shadow’s as-of-yet untitled forthcoming LP. He’s got lots of potential sources for inspiration, as DJ Shadow claims to own a personal collection of over 60,000 records! I’m also a big fan of De La Soul, having played classics like “3 Is The Magic Number” and “Eye Know” on my radio show. I respect and admire all they’ve done, even though I’m a little bit too young for their time of relative success in the mainstream, although most people will be familiar from their work with Gorillaz on some of their bigger tracks, like “Feel Good Inc”, “Momentz” and “Superfast Jellyfish”!

This is exactly the kind of track you’d want from a collaboration between three hip-hop heavyweights and one of the most prolific American EDM artists of all-time. I absolutely love this track because it’s such an undeniably 90’s throwback and it’s just so aware of this! I love the distorted breakdown of synths and samples in the middle as it harkens back to the mid-80’s where breakdancing to Run DMC was “in” thing with the youth! The production work on this track is simply out of this world (I just had to say it!) as Shadow cleverly balances a psychedelic tone with pure nostalgia. The lyrics aren’t deep or philosophical in any way, but they don’t need to be and they play up to the strengths of De La Soul as lyrical performers. I can’t recommend this track any more highly. For me, it’s just how I like my hip-hop! It’s boisterous, fun and very energetic! You should check it out right now, but can you rock it like Rocket Fuel?

Pictured: Pos, Trugoy & Maseo (De La Soul) (1989) (Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at a 90’s track from an icon who, along with Sir Paul McCartney, was turned away from the 2016 Grammy’s party! If you liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every daily new post is up and like the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

One Track At A Time

Today’s Track: Halogenix – “Would You?”

Today’s Track: DJ Shadow (feat. De La Soul) – “Rocket Fuel”