Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 12
Dexter’s Beat Laboratory is a weekly collection of songs from DA music editor and staff writer Robyn Dexter. With a taste that can only be described as eclectic — to say nothing of a name that lends itself to punnery — DA is happy to present a selection of tracks personally curated by Dexter for your listening pleasure.
It’s been a minute since I started out a volume of Beat Lab with a confession, but it’s time for another one. I first heard “Let Go” when Boys Like Girls did a cover of it in 2007, and I honestly had no idea it wasn’t their song. So when a remix of Frou Frou’s “Let Go” by Aylen popped up on SoundCloud, I had to investigate. This rework is a bit of a double-edged sword. It holds true to the emotion of the original track, but Aylen still manages to inject it with heavy elements that give it a more appealing angle to the EDM crowd. The juxtaposition works perfectly.
One of the latest releases from Zeds Dead‘s Deadbeats imprint is a mellow, almost haunting original from Kid Froopy. The producer tugs at the listener’s nostalgic heartstrings with a simple melody, sprinkled with sparkling synths and fun vocal chops. “New You” is part of Kid Froopy’s new EP, Drive Slow, which came out a week ago and features three other tracks that are just as fresh as this one — along with a remix of “New You” from umru.
This beautiful track from Swedish duo Galavant deserves all the attention in the world. The new Armada release packs a powerful punch of emotion and is featured as the inaugural track on episode 179 of Armada Night Radio, which is how I stumbled across it. The introduction pulls the listener in right away with soulful vocals and a gradual build that drops into a chorus of swirling synths. It’s catchy and fueled by a clear passion the duo have for making music.
Arty‘s return to his Alpha 9 alias is such a beautiful thing. In tracks like his most recent, “Burning Heart,” he’s able to re-explore his progressive trance roots — something he clearly hasn’t forgotten how to do. With dreamy vocals and steady, twinkling builds, Alpha 9 shows off his perfected trance chops. The only unfortunate part of this track is its length: it’s short at less than three minutes. Here’s hoping for an extended version in the future.
Following up an impressive selection of tracks earlier this year, Notaker has released his biggest collection of music to date: his Genesis EP. In the middle of this EP is a track called “So Much Love,” a 7-minute journey of epic proportions through an underground, visceral sound. Each piece of work Notaker releases is a carefully fine-tuned, almost cinematic masterpiece, and this latest one is no exception.
Read More:
Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 11
Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 10
Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 9
Categories: Music