(July 2010) Colorado has exploded in the dubstep scene. The Sonic Bloom festival just finished and proved that Colorado takes electronic music quite seriously. Once a place for hippies to migrate
to for a Phish concert at Red Rocks, the state is now a hotbed for new releases in electronic music. Dubstep has been inundated with heavy wobble and newcomers may assume it’s the only definition of the genre. This kind of thinking is furthest from the truth. In Cosmic, Zeno takes an artistic approach and favors minimalistic sounds with hard bass lines to accent tracks, including a toned down style that still packs quite a punch. Sub.Mission already has strong artists signed to them and adding Zeno only helps to make them stronger. This time around, German imprint Crazy Language releases the audio goods.
From the album art, to the album name, to even the title track, Zeno paints a definitive sonic landscape. Heavy space influences are evident on most tracks with the help of synths while each piece matures quickly without slow build up. His approach to sound creation is a nice change of pace. It shows confidence to unleash a different kind of song structure to electronic music lovers, as most people are used to slower build ups. A spot where Zeno shines is in production skill. Apparently, he is the only one who can handle producing songs in his fashion. It’s evident when listening to the multiple remixes included on the album. Any time a remix track starts to play, it fails to match the quality of Zeno’s original audio dynamic. The Widdler is a talented artist, however, when remixing a Zeno track, the creative flow doesn’t seem to fit the style of Cosmic. The same can be said for Hurons’ remixes as well; both offer few new elements besides subtle instrumental sounds which are commendable but not as memorable as Zeno’s original.
Besides the final song, Zeno hits the mark on the rest. The first track is free floating and is comparable to the opening of “Trip Like I Do” by The Crystal Method. It’s minimalism at its finest as the beat smartly glitches along with smart and satisfying bass kicks. The next song features deep and ominous bass to breakdown into a slow burner. “Modular” breaks the mold Zeno has been using for this album and hits the sonic spot straight from the start; it then slows down and bubbles along at just the correct tempo to keep you craving for more. “Shades of Yellow” is another track to look out for; bass lines and snares are deliberate and crafted with purpose to fit with a ghostly, echoing beat to drive the track. The whole album grips you with its fiery bass and refuses to let go.
Effort oozes from every Zeno track on this outer-space journey, so after pressing play, relax and enjoy the soundscapes of Cosmic audio manipulation. The dubstep scene has become more mainstream and this release should benefit from the surge of popularity. Standing firmly above multiple dubstep records released this year, Cosmic deserves much recognition.
Cosmic is out now on Crazy Language and is available as a no-charge digital download.
