Dubstep is the ultimate reorganizing of “noise” into bone rattling, body contorting, party rocking music. And Flux Pavillion is doing what he does best within the Dubstep realm-remixing that sound and finding new niches for the genre to inhabit. On his latest project, Blow The Roof, Flux incorporates more original Hip Hop than your mother is used to into Dubstep and offers a nice arc of heavy to light sounds throughout. Think of the whole EP as a full eight course meal. Don’t forget your bib. It’s gonna get messy.
Flux starts off slow with “OneTwoThree.” The rhythm and melody put me in communist Russia in a market square as a clash between two rivaling factions meet in the streets. And as soon as the beat drops, all hell breaks loose-in slow motion. And by the end of the track when the beat goes into double time, forget about anyone being safe in that market square. After a couple side dishes from “distant lands” in “The Scientist” and “Double Edge,” the real meat of the main dish comes with “Blow The Roof.” Flux somehow finds a way to squeeze in some notes between the heavy-as-Yokozuna’s-whole-family bass on every other beat. And the faster paced ending sounds like a combination of Autoerotique and The Bloody Beetroots, which is an apt ending to this track. To help you wash down the bass, “I Feel It” messes around with a simple arpeggio on an organ that sounds like the soundtrack to a futuristic Super Mario World underwater level. And to top it all off, “Starlight” is what’s on the menu for dessert. But even as the dessert, Flux comes heavy with the triple dark chocolate layered cake with the lighter instrumentals but still that dense, distorted underlying tones.
Flux’s use of the human voice throughout the EP is an example of a creative approach to EDM. It’s always good to have words once in a while for the kids who popped Molly at concerts and are sweating (Woo!) to sing along with, like on “The Scientist.” But then on another tracks, words and phrases are used more as instruments to supplement the other elements. And finally, we have full rap verses from Sway, P Money, and Childish Gambino. The beats used while the rappers spit their verses mesh well. The most memorable verse comes from P Money as he swagger jacks Shaft with the line: “Ahh, he’s a bad mutha…Shut your mouth!” “Do Or Die” actually sounds like a beat Childish could have produced, which speaks to Flux’s understanding of the music the artists he collaborates with, create.
With Blow The Roof, Flux makes it clear that he’s on top of his game and will stay there until someone rightfully challenges his spot. The beat variations within each track don’t let the thought of a dull moment even enter your mind. As for remixing his own songs (“I Still Can’t Stop”), let’s leave those to the other DJ’s, Flux.
4.5 / 5 bars
Flux Pavillion – Blow The Roof
03 – Double Edge
Flux Pavillion – Double Edge ft. Sway, P Money
