If you’ve been following EDM Assassin, then you have probably seen a post or two about Henry Smola. We featured his first installment of the trilogy, ‘Dusk’, and I loved every minute of it. Lucky for you, I’m here to present the second installment, ‘Midnight’. But first there are some things you need to know about this go-round.
As Henry pointed out to me, this record was a little different than the first. Having just returned home from being overseas for 3 years, he wanted to get back to his instrumental roots and incorporate live music into the mix this time while keeping that electronica feel. Listening to the record, he accomplished that. The other thing I wanted to point out is that the continuous mix of the record comes first, Just like it did with ‘Dusk’. Knowing Henry, and how much I adore continuous mixes, you should absolutely listen to this first. It provides the big picture of the record with no interruptions, no Soundcloud ads or iTunes pauses. Just music created to tug at your soul, make you feel something, like music is supposed to.
In something a little different for me, I want to review the record based off this continuous mix. Read below!
‘Midnight’ is an apt name for the beginning of the record as the beautiful melody plays out softly as the night continues from dusk into the true darkness. As darkness finally settles over, things become a little more sinister, in this case electronic, and the entire atmosphere speeds up, your heart races, and adrenaline seeps into your veins, slowly making you hyper-aware of your surroundings.
In the blink of an eye, everything can change. In this case your heart beat slows as the sensation that something is following you, creeps down your neck and tenses every muscle in your body. The eerie melodies play out like the perfect horror movie and adding in the heavy kick… Well, it only heightens the nerves, drawing in listeners closer. The music is not inherently scary or off-putting, rather it seems to depict a wide range of emotions and states-of-mind that one might go through while experiencing the midnight hour.
As with every night, it seems to only get darker as the dawn nears, but finally there is a break when your heart stops racing and the first rays of sunlight break the horizon. It isn’t quite dawn and it won’t be for a few minutes but everything is serene and perfect. The birds take a moment to enjoy the beauty of the dawn arriving and the goodbye of midnight and the eternal darkness it seems we have lived through. Much like this record, the mood lightens as it comes to a close, preparing listeners for the third installment, ‘Dawn’.
I urge you to check out this track and you can download it for free as always. It is a journey from the peaceful transition from dusk to darkness, to the wonders of the night and how everything can change in an instant, to the wondrous dawn and the first rays of sunlight peaking over the horizon. As you sit in limbo between midnight and dawn, your body relaxes and you feel at peace, seeing that the world continues to turn and the light of a new day is coming. Listen below and let us know what you think! I’m sure Henry is eager to hear your feedback.
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