Stoked to kickstart another year of Ethnofusion finds, bringing you music in our ever-increasing scope of world electronic fusion music. Having our standards raised on a year-on-year basis, this year we will continue to pick apart every release on our radar, highlight the most intriguing finds and what the blog has evolved to value in this genre; i.e. live instrumentation, innovative composition and sentiments, immaculate sound design and the evocation of an untameable urge to dance. Here are our January picks. If you notice a dip from our usual rating “grades”, this is because we will be significantly more critical, in view of the vast pool of amazing music that already exists in the world and which we have already covered in previous years. Thanks to everyone who reads, supports, and appreciates this blog.

– Баxtак

POÁN – Abisso [Aquatic Collective]

The second release from Lo.Renzo’s side project, POÁN goes live through the good people at Aquatic Collective who are usually guaranteed to deliver on the blissful natural 100% organic and eco-friendly vibes. The POÁN composition evolves, ascends, twirls, and descends in over 18 minutes and it is comprised of a copious number of instruments and only a looper, including the udu, guitars, sarangi, guitars, bells, agogo bells, vibratone, darbuka, chime bars, handle-pot, tambourine, spring drum, ocarina, bass drum, and sansula, as well as water. The song’s concept is supposed to mimic the slow movement of whales floating in the depths of the ocean and to a high extent, this can be felt musically.

The intuitive feel of this performance genuinely highlights the level of musical mastery and realistically, these POÁN compositions can only get better if the duo become even more aquatic, grow 8 more limbs and perform as octopi with an eightfold reach for extra instruments on in their vicinity.

Eccentricity = 8 (similar-sounding music ‘may’ exist, however the performance style is highly unique)
Lucidity = 10 (the dynamic and well-spaced sphere of sound highlights every single instrument)
Intricacy = 10 (what more needs to be said after that list of instruments above?)
Cadence = 9 (perfect rhythm for meditation, concentration, prayer, intimate coition)
Sentiment = 9 (music with water sounds about aquatic creatures through an aquatic collective)

Median = 9.2

Dengue Dengue Dengue – Son de los Diablos [Enchufada]

One of our favourite labels and artists come out with a form of brilliance this month that can be considered the top of the slow rave food chain. The EP takes inspiration from the Afroperuvian musical style which was brought to the country through the slave trade of Spanish conquerors, as well as incorporating other mixes of African and South American grooves. Dengue Dengue Dengue went the proper way about this EP as they recorded the Bullumbrosio family, one of Afroperuvian music’s most prominent lineages, creating an authentic take on the ethnic background they are fusing with their music. The group’s meticulous approach is easily evident in the music, and it has been highlighted in this documentary by Red Bull Music Academy (09:49) and how the organic field recordings paint an almost visual scene that illustrates the instruments as much as the many families and people behind the rhythms. Overall, all these elements create a highly authentic release and one that we highly cherish in this month’s picks. Major ups to the Enchufada family and Dengue x3!

Eccentricity = 8 (unique and innovative polyrhythmic grooves)
Lucidity = 9 (beautifully rich yet spacious mix and master, balanced on the whole EQ range)
Intricacy = 10 (instruments, field recordings, subtle electronics and vocals creates a rich atmosphere)
Cadence = 9 (intertwining grooves represent the drum circle vibe of El Carmen)
Sentiment = 10 (utmost respect to the incorporated indigenous musical style)

Median = 9.2

San Miguel – Paraiso (Monada Remix) [Pipe & Pochet]

Introducing the less-explored world of foley to slow rave, this Monada remix of San Miguel’s Paraiso is the perfect textural treat for anyone interested in the grainier and more intrinsic sides of the genre. The vibes are meditative, medicinal and soothing, creating a perfect recipe for a 6am situation after a sleepless or sleepful evening. There isn’t much there in terms of a concept beyond pure musical bliss but maybe that’s all we need sometimes?

Eccentricity = 8 (innovative use of foley in slow rave)
Lucidity = 8 (meticulously mixed, all instruments come through clearly)
Intricacy = 9 (highly detailed sound-sphere yet not overwhelming)
Cadence = 9 (beautiful, soft and intricate groove)
Sentiment = 7 (could have a stronger concept)

Median = 8.2

Helucze – Squared Triangles [Casa Caos]

One of our favourite artists of last year started this year productively, already giving us a new EP through the Brazilian imprint, Casa Caos. This song, ‘Squared Triangles’ particularly stood out from the EP for me, most likely because of the incredible use of heavy basslines in the intro 2-minute intro, and then later on in the song. It is a rare occasion to see these neuro influences in the slow rave world and it’s a perfect balance of the weighty side of sound design and the lush melodies of the genre. Hence, this one’s a total winner.

Eccentricity = 9 (beautiful use of ‘neuro’ish basses and an overall heavy dub element in slow rave)
Lucidity = 10 (super clear production)
Intricacy = 9 (well-placed elements in a highly spacious mix, with all sounds having room to shine)
Cadence = 9 (highly danceable, yet the transiting the heavy & main sections can be more seamless)
Sentiment = 7 (not a very well established concept, but there is major emotional response)

Median = 8.6the

SubDocta – Ederlezi Dub ft. Infinity

SubDocta delivers the most powerful deep ethnic dubstep track of the year so far with this riddim which utilises the Goran Bregovic track, Ederlezi, and the melodic aid of collaborator, Infinity to nail the Near Eastern vibes. The result is a perfect mix of melodic content, deep wubs and sound design, and a tribal warpainted attitude. Fans of groovy multi-layered dubstep must not miss this. Seeing that the sampling is supposedly solicited, encouraged and agreed upon with the original artist, the author digs it even more.

Eccentricity = 8 (we’ve heard Middle Eastern dubstep before & this is how you do the genre justice)
Lucidity = 9 (let the shadow in the reverbs tell you how well the instruments are mixed)
Intricacy = 9 (clear use of foley, vocals & dub elements. it could do with more organic percussions)
Cadence = 10 (this already has me stomping like King Kong’s long-lost Mesopotamian brother)
Sentiment = 8 (war chant riddims rarely come more battle-ready than this)

Median = 9

High Dude – Slang (Instrumental)

The long-term Outtallectuals collaborator and deep dubstep marauder, High Dude, made this instrumental for a Talabun MC track, and it smashed our earways harder than the worded version. Accordingly, here’s the raw instrumental. The beat is haunting and chillingly ruthless as it boils in angst in shady corners, with only glimpses of an underlying degree of malice passing its husk of grace. Get your katanas ready.

Eccentricity = 8 (characteristic cynical dubstep with a signature and evident atmospheric touch)
Lucidity = 9 (there’s skills in making all the foley sound like keys dropping in an empty corridor)
Intricacy = 10 (High Dude leading the foley and deep whomps game in the deep dubstep world)
Cadence = 8 (solid heavy and to the point rhythm, with nice secondary foley syncopation)
Sentiment = 7 (if it doesn’t make you want to creep in the shadows, what will?)

Median = 8.4

Primer – Tal pt.I [Rarefied]

If you like your dubstep sounding like it’s being transmitted through a wormhole and picked up by an alien vessel which travels back instantaneously through another non-temporal means of travel, then this Primer riddim is what you need. Expect a lot of trans-dimensional static and loss of standardly conceived wave attributes.

Eccentricity = 9 (I mean, what the fuck, let’s just be honest. Can you hear this madness?)
Lucidity = 9 (Considering the madness, everything is super crispy, maybe even a bit too trill)
Intricacy = 8 (The elements are rich and the song only loses marks on length & composition factors)
Cadence = 8 (Considering the glitch, this riddim rolls pretty hard)
Sentiment = 6 (Not really sure what the purpose of this song is but it’s perfect for tripping you out)

Median = 8

G-W!z – Be One With The Universe

A second feature for G-W!z in the past few months, this time in the form of this abstract single, Be One With The Universe, yielding some really strange results. Safe to say grooves can rarely get more glitchy and angular than this, and while this may be too much for some, it lies at the border of what can be considered as daringly good experimentation. Anyone into manically psychedelic sounds, with a overtone of an aiding goddess transporting you on a moral stretcher through telekinesis should give this one a go.

Eccentricity = 10 (the overall sound and all the grooves are highly unique)
Lucidity = 8 (despite the chaos, there is quite a bit of method to this madness)
Intricacy = 9 (tasty goulash of haunting vocals, transient percussions & nebula loads of space bass)
Cadence = 7 (score ‘3’ for median human’s cadence, ‘13’ to guru improv groovehunters)
Sentiment = 8 (this amount of psychedelia makes you one with how chaotic the universe really is)

Median = 8.6

Liquid Love Drops x ALIA – Huntress (Spoken Bird)

Spoken Bird’s play on the Liquid Love Drops and ALIA collabo, Huntress is a hard-hitting genre-bender, dipped in triumphant vibes and crystallised as a deep garage / dubstep / soulful bass music mashup. Quality production, emotive response, timely use of techy bass design, nice organic/digital balance; this is perfect for anyone who wants a conscious touch to their bass music.

Eccentricity = 8 (unique groove switch-ups between trappy, steppy and garage vibes)
Lucidity = 8 (crispy goodness, bar slight muddiness on the basses)
Intricacy = 9 (intricate beats, highly interacting beats and elements and good use of the 3d space)
Cadence = 9 (great progression throughout the track)
Sentiment = 7 (evokes epiphanic vibes)

Median = 8.2

Yestegan ChaY – Grande Allakefak

The Israeli psydub producer, Yestegan ChaY is back for another feature this month, with this song which was released as a part of an aid fundraiser album for Puerto Rico. The track highlights the artist’s recognizable old school psydub sound with a lot of twirly Middle Eastern goodness attached to it. Expect a lot of instrumental riffage, an evolving bassline, a switch-up of steppa and rocker style percussions, and an overall OG psychedelic feel. For anyone into the classic format done properly, Yestegan ChaY will consistently be your man.

Eccentricity = 7 (old school psydub sound, done to perfection)
Lucidity = 7 (all elements are clear but there is room for more dynamic and crisp mixing)
Intricacy = 9 (many intertwining instruments at play)
Cadence = 9 (the dynamics of the ever-evolving grooves and melodies are priceless on this one)
Sentiment = 8 (not sure about the song’s relationship to the fundraiser cause but big props anyhow)

Median = 8

Tikki Masala – Do You Wanna Dance

The OG ethnofusion producer and man behind Masala Records is back this month with a full length which gives you a little bit of everything danceable and percussion-laden in the course of 8 tracks. The album features vibes from across the world, most prominently afrobeat, Balkan mid-tempo, Hindi and Latin mash-ups, dabke, Brazilian street football (whatever you call that world cup whistle and percussion style), and an overall tribal feel. With the songs ranging from 4.5 to 10 minutes, you’re in for a test of perseverance; have you got it in you to get devotedly tribal for this journey and not run out of breath? You decide.

Eccentricity = 7 ( an accurate trailer for what dancing sounds like across the planet)
Lucidity = 9 (superbly mixed, could do with more panning automations and slightly wider mix)
Intricacy = 7 (amazing intricacy, shame there is no source information on the samples)
Cadence = 10 (packed full of grooves, polyrhythms, and all sorts of percussive street goodness)
Sentiment = 9 (well if you want to dance, this is the answer)

Median = 8.4

h v s n – sem pena.

Taking it back to Brazil, the Curitiba-based producer h v s n, gives us a healthy dose of raw ghetto favela bass music, with a deep and dark tone which stands in contrast to the genre’s generally upbeat baile vibe. Unique, full of feels, innovative, and another indication of why weird baile is one of the dopest things in ethnofusion right now.

Eccentricity = 9 (fans of sidechaining and manic Latin ratchet shit, welcome.)
Lucidity = 9 (simple and to the point mix, warm and wide overall sound)
Intricacy = 7 (fairly few elements yet charmingly balanced on the minimal/maximal spectrum)
Cadence = 9 (that voice sample totally drives this groove)
Sentiment = 7

Median = 8.6

Anton Feine – Sakura

We’ve heard of multi-cultural slow rave before, but have we heard ethnic snail rave yet? This Anton Feine track does that by providing groove at an incredibly sluggish pace yet keeping the rhythm alive. This speed of delivery is in line with the track’s concept of being an ode to Japanese cherry blossom as it potentially highlights the seasonal patience that such floral entities endure in order to produce magnificent scenes of bloom. It’s the growth that counts, and Anton Feine is a fine abacus.

Eccentricity = 8 (the overall slow aesthetic is rather fresh)
Lucidity = 7 (all sounds are nice, although a touch static, cold and too subless overall)
Intricacy = 7 (timely use of a vast amount of sounds albeit slightly repetitive)
Cadence = 7 (perfect if you know how to dance in a highly opiated state)
Sentiment = 8 (captures a Sakura’s slow growth, sub-less kicks are a tad angular for that purpose)

Median = 7.4

Watt The Fox – Fennek (ft. Elektraum x  Naure Said)

Watt The Fox’s Fennek came through as a review request this month and it was evident within a minute that it had to be blogged. The almost 9 minute minimal 4-to-the-floor vibe is highlighted by a thumping bass kick, and an impressive array of live instrumentation, including darbuka, jaw harp, hand pan, production by the due themselves, and guest oud and sitar recordings from Elektraum and Naure Said. While the song doesn’t exactly break any boundaries, it satisfies the desert slow rave crave, and the effort to record many instruments in place of heavy use of samples is highly appraisable in our books.

Eccentricity = 6 (standard formula done with good style)
Lucidity = 8 (slightly too much on the sub, but nice thump and driving roller force for other elements)
Intricacy = 10 (that’s full marks for real instrumentation and effort for this blog)
Cadence = 9 (steadily groovy and dance-friendly groove)
Sentiment = 7 (little to the title but nice balance of cultural cross-pollination in a positive light)

Median = 8.2

Casa Caos x Tropical Twista Records – MVNDIVAGANTE vol.1

The double trouble of two of Brazil’s finest slow rave imprints Casa Caos and Tropical Twista Records manifests in the form of the first eight-track volume of the labels’ roster mix-up. The songs span the downtempo multi-cultural, forest-spheric and indigenous-driven sound of the labels, and some of the highlight tracks include NILLO’s El Afronauta with its blend of globalised ethnicity, and Maracuyá’s Jaula De Aire with evolving grooves beyond the 42thefloor and deploying a humid natural ambiance. Overall, the compilation explores what its tin says and that is “world traveller” music, however it fails to keep this listener gripped as much as some solo or previous compilation releases on both labels.

Eccentricity = 6 (standard slow-rave for the most part, with sparkles of innovative grooves)
Lucidity = 8 (simple yet to-the-point mixing and mastering on all tracks)
Intricacy = 8 (lots of use of instruments and foley)
Cadence = 7 (groovy music with mild levels of excitement)
Sentiment = 7 (consistent theme on the compilation and representation of multi-cultural vibes)

Median = 7.2

Gerra G feat. Kassio Guarana – Beija Flor EP [Gatopardø]

The head artist at Núcleo Gatopardø and resident DJ at Sonido Tropico, gets aid from Kassio Guarana as they handle business with this two-track EP, merging poetry and grooves in the format of organic tropical music. Gerra G’s production plays on Kassio Guarana’s vocals and guitars to create these emotive scores. The first track which is aimed at a Hummingbird has lyrics translating (thanks to Google) to: “Come, fly here. bring color to me Come, be a flower in my backyard while the sun is shining I’ll introduce you the most beautiful flowers from my garden”. The second track translates to: “How much time has passed here? Inside that crystal where the ground cracked and the charm is lost. How much time has passed here? I do not know… the lights, the colors, the end. I see in you glass mirage.”

Regardless of whether you may choose to interpret those two songs to respectively be about a lover and a trip, one can immediately sense from the vocal delivery that the poetry is in full motion.

Eccentricity = 8 (beautiful vocally and harmony-driven edge over genre norms)
Lucidity = 9 (warm, wide, and rich overall sound)
Intricacy = 8 (beautiful wubs and synth work interacting with the world elements)
Cadence = 8 (timely groove changes, and cadent intrigue through chronological progression)
Sentiment = 9 (brilliant matching of vocal style and lyrical content, with melodic purpose)

Median = 8.2

Giselle World – Tribal Waters EP

Giselle World’s new EP is a four-track collection of water prayers, spanning a number of traditional mashup arrangements and remixes related to water. Giselle World’s own contribution comes in the form of musical vocalisation and immaculate playing of the flute, and a group of others including a producer, Estray on remix duties, guitarists, a bassist, sound engineers and visual artists aid in the overall production of the EP. While the release has a clear influence from existing works, it is a praise-worthy collection of songs which highlight the importance of this key and sacred 21^st century resource, as voiced through Brazilian prayers of the Santo Daime tradition.

Eccentricity = 7 (fits the genre norms, while the flute / vocals can be signature attributes)
Lucidity = 8 (clean mix, foley dynamics can be much more accentuated)
Intricacy = 8 (rich, intricate, multi-instrument-laden soundscapes)
Cadence = 8 (medicinal sense of rhythm and repetitive remedy)
Sentiment = 9 (conscious message, specific and authentic cultural representation)

Median = 8

Stanisha – Caravan

Stanisha delivers an 8k followers thank you release in the form of this rolling 10-minute groove-laden desert song. The song does hit the spot for this hypnotic Arabic realm, slowly evolving in its expression while keeping a consistent groove. Finding time between running his music school, Vesela Nota Music Production School, and producing regularly, Stanisha told us that he recorded the song in a day as a quick means of appreciation for his fans, and most of the sound design in the song is produced through frequency modulation with timbre and expression, leading to the overall dense and organic adventure that is caravan journey. The artist tells us that his music is created using a “USB MIDI Breath Controller (to gain expressive sound for basically all winds inside Kontakt player), RC 505 boss looper for vocals, drums and anything percussive, Novation Launchkey to control Live, self-designed Push emulator on IPAD”. Adding to this, the instruments used in the songs include acoustic guitar, frammus, violin, bass, unni (hand made), double Unni (hand made), bunch of percussion drums, flutes and duduk… pretty impressive!

Eccentricity = 8 (tried and tested slow Arabic rave style, yet executed professionally)
Lucidity = 7 (some percussive elements are lost & the kick is too dominant / overpowering at times)
Intricacy = 10 (highly intricate, well-designed and multi-layered sounds)
Cadence = 9 (minimal glitch, highly syncopated and groovy)
Sentiment = 8 (nails the Caravanserai vibes)

Median = 8.4

Matanza – Matanza

The Chilean superheros of tribal South American and Latin house / techno are back with a full length, a whopping 16-track collection of songs which portray the trio’s live performance vibes. Exploring grooves and evolving three-person poly-rhythms on what seems like a fully analog and instrumental-ridden arsenal of sounds, Matanza’s self-titled celebrates their critical acclaim, shear capabilities, and why they get to record a 71 minute live performance for Boiler Room. These songs are not shy of slow-paced layering and the overall vibe represents a path of least resistance to achieving flow, fluid movement, and a connection to our planet’s organic photo-synthesizing compadres.

Eccentricity = 9 (a combination of the signature beats and Rodrigo Gallardo’s vocals seal this with the stamp of Matanza)
Lucidity = 7 (organic and warm live sound but lacking that crystal neat studio production clarity)
Intricacy = 10 (a quick view of Matanza’s live sets shows you the extent of intricacy that goes into this music)
Cadence = 10 (a vast array of grooves revolving on 4×4 and Latin American patterns)
Sentiment = 9 (strong cultural identity and innovative quality on an on-record and live level)

Median = 9

supplementary video of them performing live to set the context of the music

Kyra – Lotus 72(3)

Some of you might know Kyra for his neuro hindi song, Gunz, which gathered a good amount of momentum through Renraku last year, even dropped by Amon Tobin in one of his sets. A totally unexpected tune from him comes in the form of a Latin disco tune this month; something perfect for a EA Sports FIFA team selection scene. On that note, this is one of those tunes that you will most likely need in your repertoire as we get closer to the football world cup this year. We know it’s in Russia but you can’t knock that Brazilian vibe from the cup, can ya?

Eccentricity = 7 (not sure if international football house is an official genre, but this is it)
Lucidity = 9 (crispy production)
Intricacy = 8 (highly intricate, yet loses points on the merit of being sample-driven)
Cadence = 9 (minimal glitch, highly syncopated and groovy)
Sentiment = 8 (nails the intercontinental football vibes)

Median = 8.2

No Saints – Jawaani

Sometimes, all you need in your musical arsenal is that Hindi-inspired dancehall tune about the concept of ‘youth’. No Saints mashes up a healthy dose of reggaetón, dancehall, Bollywood choruses, and an overall EDM aesthetic to tick off the ‘its lit’ production style.

Eccentricity = 8 (Hindi dancehall, what more needs to be said?)
Lucidity = 8 (Good enough production for a club sound system)
Intricacy = 7 (Not crazy-multi-layered, but existing sounds are well used)
Cadence = 10 (Will make you dagger and belly dance at the same time)
Sentiment = 7 (No real concept, but nice genre exploration with a youthful clubby vibe)

Median = 8

ICHI – Astral [Plenum Records]

For those of you aware of the more EDM-esque side of ethnofusion, you must have heard of ICHI in this blog last year through the Plenum Records artist’s previous shamanic “astral trap” releases. This year, ICHI is back with a considerably less EDM-sounding release, focusing on throat-singing driven music. There are some truly strange stylistic mash-ups here; the first track Chingis Khan has Brazilian baile elements, Kikimora sounds more like the SOOHAN realm of spiritual headiness, the title-track adds some moombahton influence to the Northeast Asian vibe, and Kowabunga threads the most commercial-sounding lines of the EP while nodding to the non-sensical-turned-into-meaning-stoke word, popularised by Howdy Doody, the Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons.

Overall, ICHI’s musical style is certainly unique enough to deserve props, and his music serves well to introduce the ‘rave bros’ to this ethnic-inspired realm of music, however, at times the music feels a bit inauthentic and gimmicky. The soundbite of ‘God is dead’ really has nothing to do with Chingis Khan himself as he was a Tengrist, and Kikimora is a Slavic sleep paralysis deity and it has little resemblance to the use of digeridoo. Hence, we are both going to love this release musically, but have some objections culturally.

Eccentricity = 9 (highly signature sound)
Lucidity = 9 (good panning depth, professional-sounding mix and master)
Intricacy = 8 (good ‘minimal’ execution of a ‘maximal’-sounding track)
Cadence = 9 (definitely will make the shamanic-type crowd go nuts)
Sentiment = 6 (the cultural context is poorly managed but nice ode to overtone singing & digeridoo)

Median = 8.2

Ruby My Dear – Brame

2018 came in incredibly hard with this Ruby My Dear release, giving us one of the nuttiest and most innovative releases of the year already. From the alumni of the great Ad Noisean label and all things that have evolved out of the love for breakcore and metal music, with Brame, Ruby My Dear re-joins the ranks of Igorrr as one of the most boundary pushing artists on the planet. The 12-track album is microscopically accurate in its mix, depth, production level, innovation, and overall wholesome appeal. We can’t really understand what it is about crazy French people and this musical renaissance we are being subjected to but this is truly revolutionary. Brame has all the madness you’d expect from a breakcore artist, merged with haunting baroque, blues, swing and gypsy melodies, blastbeats, neuro sound design, manic screaming voices, whistles, Robert Plant-esque moans, music boxes, strings, growls, orchestral vibes, and much more. Overall, Brame echoes the meaning of this album title beautifully (or at least the title I can understand from Google translate), as a true “cry of pain of longing”, “roar”, or “intense passion”.

It takes a highly-trained brain to navigate the jumps between hardcore, ragga, prog metal, circus music, waltz, trip-hop, drum n bass, breakcore, etc. throughout the songs and the album, but anyone with a semi-developed artistic brain can appreciate the overall master-level sense of continuity throughout the album. Ruby My Dear is what an orchestra would sound like if you take crack and DMT at the same time while hearing it, and as that metaphor may indicate, not many people are up to that level of debauchery. Should you dare to come where others don’t, you may have found one of the most cherished experiments in both fields of avant-garde metal and electronic music.

Eccentricity = 10 (the most creative release of this year so far. would give it an 11 if I could)
Lucidity = 10 (achieving a mix this clean is an astounding accomplishment)
Intricacy = 9 (I’m not even going to try counting or questioning the source of samples too much)
Cadence = 9 (the groove is still highly recognizable amidst all the chaos)
Sentiment = 8 (album name & vibe fit perfectly but there is no major narrative for the song names)

Median = 9.2

Datsik x Virtual Riot – Warriors of the Night [Firepower Records]

European Dubstep royalty, Datsik and Virtual Riot deliver the heavy oriental brostep vibes, while the narrative-based soundbites serve to distinguish between the ninja and the samurai for the true contender as a warrior of the night. You know at this level of celebrated success, the artists are sure to deliver on top notch production quality, while it is also easily evident that the artists will stick to their trusted EDM banger style, slicing any hope of innovative song-writing.

Eccentricity = 7 (overly used dubstep style, however respected for artists’ OG trendsetter status)
Lucidity = 9 (highest quality production, catered for stadium level gigs)
Intricacy = 7 (highly driven by fundamental dubstep elements and not enough instrumentation)
Cadence = 9 (certainly bangs)
Sentiment = 8 (good comparative narrative of the samurai & the ninja as true warriors of the night)

Median = 8

Forgotten Sounds – Middle East [Glitch-hop Community]

The Glitch-hop community folk come out with a heavy ethnofusion heater through Forgotten Sound, channelling the type of vibe you’d expect from Dysphemic and Chamberlain and some of GHC’s alumni; old school wubs, syncopated and pitched Hindi vocals, dubstep snares, and a lead-laden cheese-heavy lead melody. This is perfect for anyone who likes the traditional ethnic glitch-hop formula, however, if it bothers you that the vocal style of a tune called Middle East is actually Hindi, then you may have a problem.

Eccentricity = 7 (old-school glitch-hop sound and commonly expressed melodic licks)
Lucidity = 8 (dancefloor-ready & professional mix & master but percussions are not ultra-crispy)
Intricacy = 8 (could have included a lot more prominent Middle Eastern percussions)
Cadence = 9 (certain banger for doof-floors)
Sentiment = 5 (lack of cultural context clarity between sounds and song title)

Median = 7.4

Tagged as: alia / anton feine / antonfeine / aquatic collective / baxtak / beija flor / brame / casa caos / datsik / deep ethnic dubstep / dengue dengue dengue / do you wanna dance / el afronauta / elektraum / enchufada / ethereal collective / ethnic basse / ethnic downtempo / ethnic dubstep / ethnic fusion / ethnic future bass / ethnic garage / ethnic house / ethnic trap / Ethnofusion / firepower records / folk ethnic house / folktronica / forgotten sounds / g-wiz / gatopardo / gerra g / giselle world / glitch-hop community / h v s n / helucze / high dude / ichi / infinity / kassio guarana / kyra / liquid love drops / lo.renzo / lorenzo montovani / maracuya / matanza / meditative ethnic music / monada / naure said / nillo / no saints / pipe & pochet / plenum records / poan / primer / psybass / psychedelic downtempo / psychill / psydub / psystep / rarefied / ruby my dear / san miguel / slang talabun mc / spoken bird / stanisha / subdocta / tikki masala / tropical twista records / virtual riot / watt the fox