Eerie vocals, groovy drums, and filthy bass fills are the name of the game in this EP, adding more of a pop flair than I expected to the whole thing. IMANU and company set the mood effectively and make some cool tunes out of some creative ideas. Solid EP from IMANU.

Favorite: It Doesn't Matter
Least Favorite: All Too Late

🔴 incentive (Ravarcheon Remix), inadequate (xyzzyx Remix), ineffable (bad narrator Remix)
🟢 The other 3 tracks

Wow. That was a remix EP for sure. Lots of things happened. I don't know how to process what I just listened to...
There were a couple amazing moments, a couple atrocious moments, and the rest hung out in the middle. The artists who did less succeeded stronger. Every remix with a high high also had a low low. The average rating of the tracks would have technically yielded a ... read more

This was alright. Definitely out of the wheelhouses of both San Holo and bitbird, but it's an interesting brand of riddim. I appreciate the experimentation. That being said, I'm glad it was as short as it was, functioning as an introduction to the style, which delivers on its promise. It had interesting elements, but didn't grab my attention that much as individual tracks or a whole project. Real interesting to hear every time San Holo breaks new ground, even if it doesn't ... read more

🔴 LOCK N LOAD
🟡 SCREW UR FACE UP
🟢 The other 3 tracks

I've been a fan of Tokyo Machine since "PIXEL". I've been a fan of CHOMPO since CHOMPO I. And, of course, I've been a fan of Monstercat since Best of 2014. And this ain't it for me. It has moments of both tone-/rhythm-deafness and headbanging dubstep goodness. But most of it is right in the middle, just existing with very little to set it apart from tracks that do this style much better (including from ... read more

🔴 Stratosphere, Lock In, Brain Squeak
🟢 The other 5 tracks

The first half of the EP was a promising start with some cool ideas to get me into the project, especially in the melodic sections. The first drop of "Stratosphere" is the first glimpse of the downward spiral, with the second drop giving hope of redemption. Then "Lock In" hits, and of course it would be the Wooli collab that hinders the EP from greatness, as I've never been a fan of Wooli's heavier ... read more

I was a little nervous when I first heard that MP was releasing a heavier EP on an EDM label, especially among singles from such artists as Similar Outskirts and Glacier. But this EP has easily the three best heavy EDM tracks that MP has ever made. The drums and basses hit harder than ever, and the ideas behind each track are so interesting. “Last Life” has the kind of depth in its lyrics that you would expect from one of his softer tracks, “Boss Level” has a fantastic ... read more

Dedicated to his wife Savvy, this album is a sweet mixture of childlike wonder and mature love. All of the originals here are bops front to back; they truly make this album. Granted, it does have more “why is this in the album” tracks out of any MP album ever before or since. To be fair, this is the first album in a while to break an established MP formula, a direction which was refined in future projects. All that aside though, this is a pretty great album. It’s well worth ... read more

Irwin has some pretty good taste. Tracks 1 and 2 attempt a humorous spin on Christmas tales to which perhaps some can relate, for whom I have much pity. Track 3 attempts to turn “Carol of the Bells” into a banger with moderate success (once you’ve heard Bossfight’s “Carol of the Cartels”, it’s hard to go back). But just when this EP seems so worthy of a 60, MP hates us with arguably one of the most beautiful songs he’s ever made. That ... read more

This album fixes what was weak about Adventure and sanitizes what was strong about it. The result is his most cohesive project ever before or since. Most of the album is built to appeal to fans of MP’s classic style of pop, but those who expect only that will find a few surprises along the way. First, the writing is more personal than it ever was before. Second, some songs explore creative ways to let the story and message of the album take its time to develop, especially in the first and ... read more

I could call the filler songs weak or the vibe scattered or the lyrics cheesy. I could dismiss this as yet another old MP album. Or I could look at the album as a whole, taking into account its musical merit, what it accomplished, and how it made me feel. Now I have zero personal memories with this album from the time it came out, as it would be years before I paid much attention to MP’s music. But man does this album reward the listener. It’s clearly his most personal work up to ... read more

Even though this is MP’s fourth album, it feels to me like the first truly Matt album. Through the sounds and structures of the instrumentals, I could hear so much of Matt’s personality shining through. It’s a deeply relieving bounce back from his previous album. MP’s lyricism is stronger than ever here. Much of what was weak about the previous three albums is fully resolved from here onward. Granted, the dubstep sections still get pretty weak, but even the weaker points ... read more

Alternating between house and dubstep, MP takes a hard left from the style he established in his first two albums, this time going almost entirely instrumental. I like the path this album paved as MP evolved his sound, but I don’t like the album very much. I was never a fan of MPs approach to dubstep in this era. It was way too haphazard and chaotic for me to latch on to anything. That is very evident in the dated EDM production on this album, alongside the weaker lyricism when lyrics do ... read more

It takes a little while to get going, but it’s a solid album and a step up from his debut. You can definitely hear the Owl City influence from several tracks, especially as OC’s style evolved in light of his third album. And whatever was Rich-Mullins-esque about his debut album is replaced with a style akin to tobyMac and the like. There are some weak points to the album, especially in the first half, that keep it from a 70, but overall, it’s yet another fun ... read more

Despite just a sprinkle each of vocal sketchiness, lyrical circularity, and puzzling song inclusion, MP delivers a pleasant surprise of a debut album. Knowing this was very early in his career and well before his breakout project, I wasn’t expecting much. But what I got was a solid mix of bedroom pop and early-2000’s-era contemporary worship. He wears his influences right on his sleeve here, but there’s something beautiful about hearing that in a debut album, especially if you ... read more

🟡 Love Situation (911)
🟢 The other 5 tracks

Although this is his least thematically consistent project yet, it is easily his best. Taking a 2000’s pop-rock style just made sense for Blanks even though I never expected it. The lyricism here is not only his tightest yet, giving testament to his growth in handling the English language, but also his most creatively satisfying yet. Whatever was overly corny about his previous projects is mostly replaced with contagious swagger and ... read more

🟡 Dance Like This
🟢 The other 9 tracks

If this debut album was simply a rehashing of everything his debut EP already accomplished, this may have been a 65. But Blanks sets out to do something much more complex and even unexpected with this 80’s-pop-esque project. He sets out to balance the euphoria of love with the pangs of heartbreak by dedicating songs to each. In both, he succeeds greatly. I have favorites from both sides of the spectrum, and what sets them apart are the little ... read more

🟡 Seaside, Silly People, Higher, Don’t Stop
🟢The other 4 tracks

Born out of a great YouTube series, I could not think of a better introduction to Blanks. It’s dancy, it’s cheesy, it’s bright, it’s sweet, and it’s so carefree. While Blanks is not a groundbreaking artist, which is evident in this EP, he is so effective at writing this type of music that you can’t help but share his enthusiasm. Showcasing several shades of his classic beach-pop ... read more

It has its moments, but it’s pretty scattered. Much of the album seems to lack an overarching theme or really point to the whole thing, except for the occasional mentions of Jesus and references to guiding principles. I do enjoy the carefree vibe, and I do believe it fits for a self-titled debut album. But they definitely refined their unique balance between heavy and light in future albums. A fun, and occasionally humorous listen, but not a particularly memorable one.

Favorite: Wake Up ... read more

🔴 Bruce Wayne
🟡 Crash, I Just Missed A Call, WIFI
🟢 The other 2 tracks

This EP just barely misses out on a 65 for a couple reasons. First, it had its weak points and didn't do much for me as a whole; it just sounded nice most of the time with few standout moments. Second, I'd expect more from NOTD, knowing the grooves, melodies, and textures of which they're capable. Third, there was a lot more "brat" influence than I would have ever expected from this musical ... read more

🔴 Crash Out, Forcefield
🟢 The other 3 tracks

Really wasn't impressed with this outing from Eptic. Having not been tapped into him much since his EP on Monstercat six years ago, which I quite enjoyed, I was expecting some progression in his sound since that time. But man, it really sounds like he ran out of ideas somewhere in those years. Here he recycles the same sounds and vibes from earlier while taking away a lot of the personality and groove they once had. It even made the ... read more