MP3 REVIEWS (August) — New Albums and EPs from DIESEL, Ravenscoon, ford., LYNY, Lab Group and More

As the digital age continues to flourish, an estimated 60,000 new tracks are released daily. Yet, it’s the extended projects that truly let artists showcase their talent and versatility. Welcome to MP3 REVIEWS, our monthly rundown of notable EPs and Albums that captured our attention. Let’s dive into this month’s lineup:

DIESEL — GORILLA WARFARE

Yeah, Shaq makes dubstep now. And guess what? It’s as aggressive as the 7’1 NBA hall-of-fame inductee ever was on the court.

GORILLA WARFARE, DIESEL (AKA Shaquille O’Neal)’s debut full-length album, released on Monstercat, is a monstrous demonstration of dubstep’s loudest and most extreme tendencies. It’s music for moshing and head banging (there’s even a track called “BANG YOUR HEAD”) — a musical riot of sorts that aims to bring out our most primal instincts.

GORILLA WARFARE is a perfect excuse to let all our energy out on the dance floor, accompanied by contributions from other dubstep and riddim artists including CELO, Hairitage, Chassi, Crankdat and many more.

— Logan Sasser

READ: MP3 Playlist — 11 Songs to Boost You Workout

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Ravenscoon — BODY

From the brilliant mind of the musical visionary known as Ravenscoon, BODY is an immersive and reality-distorting EP that marks the first chapter of his upcoming concept album, Periphery.

The EP kicks off with “Boundary,” featuring mesmerizing synthesizers and staccato rhythms, smoothly transitioning into a dubstep collaboration with Seeka, setting the energy levels high. This collaboration is “Breathe,” which encompasses hushed whispers amidst powerful basslines, plunging the listener deeper into the auditory adventure.

The next three tracks, including the standout “GO!” featuring Killa P and Al Kapone, “Wild” with label-mate Sully, and “Melt” featuring AshEL Seasunz, dive headfirst into the realm of bass music, evoking physical sensations akin to a racing heart. Ravenscoon effectively conveys this visceral experience through sound, trailblazing a path for rising producers across EDM.

— Connor Phillips

READ: Ravenscoon’s Hard-Earned Journey to Sobriety, Inner Peace

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LYNY — The Familiar

LYNY‘s new The Familiar EP, released August 25 on Of The Tree’s Memory Palace label, stands in stark contrast to the young producer’s previous 140 BPM aesthetic and wacky take on modern experimental bass and trap-infused music.

If you’re mostly familiar with LYNY’s viral sensations and festival bangers like “Noxious” and “Laundry Money” with Jon Casey, you might find The Familar EP a soothing surprise, completely unconcerned with industry expectations and trend-chasing. That’s because the three songs on Familiar represent a much more laidback approach to dance music that embarks on a subtle, groovy and low-fi inspired adventure.

It’s not exactly ambient bass music, and wouldn’t really fit on Liquid Stranger’s downtempo SSKWAN label, but that’s exactly the point: The Familiar is a brief musical odyssey into an isolated sound experiment, and one that’s definitely worth the listen.

— Logan Sasser

READ: LYNY — Tapping into Intuition, Creating Sounds from Scratch and a ‘Thank You’ Note to Skrillex

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Lab Group — Zoom In / Dripping

Lab Group is back with two enchanting singles that depict the collaborative’s unique innovation and dichotomy in the world of bass music. Released in late August as a sneak peak of their upcoming sophomore album, Lab Group II, the tracks  “Dipping” and “Zoom In” showcase two very contrasting sides of bass, both which are well worthy of a listen.

“Zoom In” is an explosive track featuring Potions and tiedye ky that combines synths, snares, and vocals that could energize any crowd.  Allowing beat and bass to take lead for three minutes of electrifying hype music, Lab Group’s creative expedition is paying off and is easily the next ultimate headbanger.

“Dipping,” on the other hand, is a mind-melting serenade featuring echoing vocals from Florida-based artist Ruku. Both sensual and serene, the track is a psychedelic trip that illustrates the magic of shadow work and self-discovery through letting go of control and ego. With deep melodic synths and lyrics of being caught between reality and fantasy, “Dipping” shows that bass can be just as heavenly as it is heavy.

— Daniela Toporek

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Good Lee — A World Within

Austria-based producer Good Lee, also known as Patrick Gutensohn, crafted an immaculate uplifting composition of music in his latest album, A World Within. Blending downtempo beats, organic textures, tribal vocal chants, and emotive songwriting, the album provides a lush and elegant listening experience.

Listeners will find solace throughout the soothing yet energetic elements heard throughout the album, including the track “Two Souls Aligned,” which opens with beautiful keyboard chords and moves through the connection of two souls. There’s also “Turn To Roses,” a collaborative track with singer-songwriter Marya Stark. The uplifting song continues to capture listeners through lyrics of transformative change all wrapped in a harmonious blend of electronic and worldly influences.

— Mikala Lugen

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ford. — Guiding Hand

Grammy-nominated producer ford.’s third full-length album, Guiding Hand, spans an innovative collection of electronic elements with strong emotional resonance.

Recorded while isolated within the mountains and valleys of Utah, ford. pulled inspirations from all corners of the spectrum, weaving electronic, hip-hop, indie, jazz, and lofi into a breathtaking nine-track arrangement. Out via ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective, Guiding Hand includes intricate live drums, textured strings, modular synths and vocals, establishing the album as the producer’s most detailed work to date.

As a tribute to the people in our lives who give us momentum and push us forward — with ford.’s late older brother as his guiding force — it’s a beautiful testament full of warm electronic chords and emotive undertones.

— Mikala Lugen

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Luci — bittersweet

She’s lent her talents to dubstep bangers like “Me and You” and “I Need Your High,” but Luci (formerly known as Lucii)’s artistry extends far beyond EDM. She has completely transformed herself as an artist by shedding her original alien bass persona and diving head-first into the world of pop. This transformation manifests in her debut album, bittersweet.

bittersweet showcases Luci’s talent for lyricism and her incredible voice, yet still retains the raw, melodic vulnerability for which she is known and loved. Anyone who’s ever gone through a bad breakup or had a toxic ex will relate to the myriad emotions expressed in the album — from the anguish of “cry baby” and “karma,” to the longing of “sleeping pills” and “hate the way,” to the hurt of “y am i not okay.”

Although evolved past her strictly electronic beginnings, threads of Luci’s EDM roots still exist in bittersweet. She included a handful of melodic dubstep remixes which will satiate the appetite of any day-one fan. By incorporating both pop and EDM into her sound, Luci truly gives us the “best of both worlds” with bittersweet.

— Ashley Eady

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Yheti — Everything New Was Old

An album that has been in the making since 2020 has officially been released, by none other than experimental bass wizard, Yheti.

Everything New Was Old features 20 classic Yheti tracks that have been re-imagined with a modern day spin. Yheti is notorious for his eclectic bass fueled discography which, in part, makes the album so special. One of Yheti’s most popular tracks, “Crack the Window,” takes on a whole new persona that’s now known as “Windows of Time.” The new version still incorporates mind numbing bass, but leans into the higher frequency sound that’s both playful and hypnotizing. 

Yheti took to his socials on several occasions to mention the importance of this project, and that it’s “the biggest work of his life.” It’s safe to say that the dedication to his craft has paid off in a big way.

— Kahla Keegan

Anyma — Genesys

Without a doubt, this sonic masterpiece is in contention for one of the greatest melodic techno albums of all time.

Representing one half of the legendary duo Tale Of Us, renowned for being the founders of the groundbreaking event brand and label Afterlife, Anyma holds nothing back in this extraordinary compilation.

What makes Genesys so special is that beyond being fueled by ethereal soundscapes, it boasts a powerful visual component that takes audiences to a futuristic and robotic dimension. Pushing the boundaries of sound and aesthetics, Anyma teams up with a wide spectrum of gifted artists on this project, such as Grimes, CamelPhat, Chris Avantgarde, Cassian, Innellea, and more. His solo tracks are equally mystifying, like the gripping, celestial basslines of “The Answer” and “Unearth.”

— Connor Phillips

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