Soul Intent’s imprint ‘Lossless Music’ unleash another sublime 4 track release this week, and she’s a beauty. Blending gritty, metallic creepers with soulful vocals, it has all the bases covered for fans of the darker more experimental side of drum and bass.
Kicking off ‘Versus Vol 3’ is ‘Dominate’; a murky creeper courtesy of Paragon. Grinding pads slice through layers of dense, phased drums that sit tightly between decayed FX and a siren-esque hook. A constant build of militant drums amongst the rise and fall of the otherworldly soundscape keeps the listeners waiting for the drop, held by the tension of the jarring baseline and met with a wall of wobbles, stabs and rolling bass. One for the graveyard heads for sure.
‘Cant Run’ is brought forward by Acid Lab, and my personal favourite on the EP. Enchanting vocals weave around cinematic soundscapes, ethereal pads and delicate piano melodies, while dark baselines, crisp drums and mechanical FX create a sense of tension and melancholy. Composition is key in this offering, and the blend of eerie vocals with dark, moody synth melodies works perfectly.
Transient serves up a steppier number, switching between full tempo and a half-time feel throughout. Littered with mechanical FX and a catchy, grinding hook, this track strips back all the bulshit and focuses on the fundamental elements; the drums and bass. A smattering of ‘video game esque’ fx and clever vocal samples round of ‘Scripture’ nicely. Bravo sir, bravo.
Finally from the boss man himself, ‘Just Words’ effortlessly blends sultry vocals with moody pads & sci fi esque soundscapes. The gritty synth stabs and rolling bassline keeps an air of darkness around the track, appearing just when you sink into the vocal as if to jar you out of your dream-like state. Paired with Soul Intent’s signature drums and a smattering of ‘stranger things’ esque fx, it’s the perfect blend of light and shade.
Available to buy and DL from 20th October, ‘Versus Volume 3’ is also available on limited edition red, yellow and black vinyl. Grab your copy here
