Below I have given a track-by-track review of DJ Meetch’s new album, Complex City. His electro style is challenged here as many other genres of dance music find their way into the tracks and give this album a distinct sound. It is incredibly difficult to sit in a computer chair and write a review of an album that continually makes you want to get up and dance, but, I have given it my best shot. Enjoy the review below and at the bottom you will find links to the free download and the tracks on Soundcloud!
1. Ozone
The album starts off with some heavy bass that blends perfectly into some futuristic samples. There is a melodic build that comes next until suddenly the song drops into eclectic electro beats that are sure to have you dancing. Ozone takes its time with slower sections of the song that help build anticipation for the electro beats that will get you up and moving. The hard hitting bass will creep into your bones and pump you full of life as you begin the journey through the Complex City that DJ Meetch has built for us. Great opening track as I look forward to the next 8.
2. Stardust
Stardust begins with a decidedly different feel. The sounds are much subtler and after a slow build, the bass hits heavy and quick as the percussion really makes a splash. The complex verse builds directly into another short pause where we are able to breathe and gather the energy needed for the breakdown. Each verse is different with the percussion elements forming the familiar portion of the song that we know is headed our way. I love that the track changes things up and does not repeat much. This gives the listener a chance to delve into the structure of the song and hear how much work went into crafting each verse. Much like stardust being made up of many different elements with some familiar ones, so too is this track built from many elements.
3. Make Me
We get our first taste of vocal samples in “Make Me” as a daft punk-esque voice lets us know that we make him want to… I enjoy the slower electro feel in this track as the melody pitches up and down, keeping the listeners engaged throughout. The focus is not on the vocals, but rather on how the song itself makes listeners feel. Jumping from a slower electro melody to harsher but danceable bass centered rhythms. I’m having trouble not dancing in my computer chair, I can only imagine on a really good set of speakers. The pause about halfway through the song is a great addition as we can regroup and the focus of the song can shift to a new melody without being distracting. Overall, my favorite track off the album so far, though there are still 6 to go.
4. Horizons
I love the build in the beginning of Horizons. That electro feel, the throbbing bass echoing through the room… It is hard to describe how bass fills your bones with vibrations and gives you life, but Horizons can show you the feeling. We are introduced next to a synth melody that gets the movement going while the bass returns and continues to amp up the amount of dancing happening around the room. There is a sample that hits at the end of some of the kicks, it sounds almost like a “yawp,” whatever it is exactly, I like that it is something familiar we can hold on to and whether or not it is actually a word, we’ll yell it out to ground ourself in the timing of the music. The electro melodies continue to wreak havoc on the dance floor where the bass and the melody compliment one another very well. I wouldn’t have guessed such a young producer be capable of a marriage between two difficult elements of a song, but hey, here we are and I love it.
5. Missions ft. Kristy Heart
Track number 5 takes us into a different world as we hear vocals by the beautifully talented Kristy Heart. The hard hitting electro bass is gone in favor of a lighter and more airy melody. While the vocals are not incredibly complex, the synth that accompanies them certainly is. As a background compliment to the vocals, they enhance the sound of her voice and give weight to the lyric “mission.” Despite the lighter notes and the higher pitch, the song demands your attention with the weight of the words as we seek to find what our own mission may be about. I love this track and it is definitely competing with Make Me as my favorite.
6. Mellow Submarine
I love the song “Yellow Submarine,” lets see how much I love “Mellow Submarine.” Right off the bat there is a sound that reminds me of a warning siren that might play in a submarine when their is an enemy near, I hope this was purposeful because it is absolutely genius. The build leads well into a track that sounds sort of like a video game, rich sounds punctuated by what I would describe as a glitch. The graphics card catching up to the quick movements of the user. It sounds and feels electro as I sit here and tap my foot to Mellow Submarine. The song has lived up to its name tremendously as I am not out of control raging, but rather slow controlled dance movements that are more of a groove and a vibe. I love it. Music that seeps into your soul and elicits such reactions is the only kind that should be made, DJ Meetch has absolutely accomplished that here.
7. Ecliptic
Background elements of a song can be just as important as anything that is the focus. Here we have a complex melody that plays loud in the foreground while behind it, a little more subtle, are pads and the percussion that give a song its rhythm and keep our footwork in time with the melody. DJ Meetch has done an excellent job making the background and foreground elements work together in Ecliptic, once again showing that complexity can be beautiful and artistic. The sound here is electro with a hint of future house as the melody and synth give us an eerie interstellar feel. As though the song is not of this world.
8. Galaga
I was expecting a track that would give a nod to the arcade style game it shares a name with. Match delivers the nod with short sections that throwback to the early 80’s sounds. What he does in between those short sections. Not at all video game-esque, but that makes this song even better. The hard hitting bass and deeper sounds that emerge as the song progress give us insight into the range that DJ Meetch is able to work with and produce quality music with. I love the dichotomy between the video game sounds that allow us to smile and think of the arcade game we’ve all played, while the hard hitting bass lets us headband and dance with all of our pent up energy. It’s a great track I’ll happily listen to over and over.
9. Streams ft. Kristy Heart
The intro to Streams has me waiting for a classic electro style track to end a great album. I love the fade into a piano melody that continues to build my anticipation, especially when the vocals by Kristy Heart are heard. The classical style of the build creates enough confusion that when the song breaks into an electro melody, and then drops into the breakdown, people will start dancing. The bass does not hit too hard and the synth elements of the song combine to create a great danceable breakdown. After the breakdown another classical piano melody is heard with distant crashes that create a dramatic ending to a song that melded classical piano melodies with perfect synth sounds.
Overall I have enjoyed DJ Meetch’s album, Complex City. For a young producer to give us an album full of rich sounds combined in an artful and masterful way, shows a lot of talent in a business where not many people make it to the top. The electro style of this album is stretched to its breaking point as there are many different genres that make it into the album. From heavier dubstep sounds to melodic trance vibes, Meetch has shown his range and shown that he can work with anything and turn it into music that gets us moving. After all, music should make us want to dance and sing, raging to heavy dubstep or grooving to something tropical. Do yourself a favor and listen to all 9 songs, you will not be disappointed as there is something you are bound to fall in love with on this album (I’ll make the pick of “Make Me”). Check out the links below and find the album on his website where you can download it for free! Thank you DJ Meetch for the chance to listen to an awesome album I’m happy to add to my collection.
If you are reading this article (duh who wouldn’t?) then I have a special treat for you all. If you download the album form DJ Meetch’s website, you’ll be given a 10th track that will not be put onto Soundcloud. That 10th track is a continuous mix of all 9 songs in a slightly different order. Make sure you download the album for free from the website and give that 10th track a listen.
Make sure you also check out DJ Meetch’s interview with Hammarica.com and get the free download via the website for the special 10th track- the continuous mix!
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