🔴 Staying, I Guess, You Forced Me To, Better Than This
🟢 The other 10 tracks

This album has grown on me quite a bit since my first listen, where I felt it was quite lacking and akin to background music. The album is back-heavy in impact, but there is quite a bit to like here. I still think it lacks enough to prevent it from greatness while having enough going for it to create an enjoyable experience. Little for me to write home about, but enough to satisfy my occasional craving for this ... read more

🔴 Fuji Rock
🟢 The other 8 tracks

Front-heavy in quality but still a banger album throughout. Puppet never seems to do anything half-heartedly, and I can feel the passion in this album with every listen. He had just solidified his punk rock style at the time, and the result is a fun display of that new (at the time) style. Don't know if I've ever heard an EDM producer develop so much punk rock spirit, but Puppet nails it here!

Favorite: For 4s4ki
Least Favorite: Yokohama

I haven't kept up with Kasbo much since his bittersweet future bass tunes on Monstercat back in the day. Seeing his penchant for serene melodies translate to a smoother house sound was refreshing to hear! Kasbo doesn't do anything crazy here, but what he does do sounds very nice. I won't remember much of it, but I certainly wouldn't mind revisiting this project to poke at more of what makes the album a pleasant experience.

Favorite: Alive - Edit
Least Favorite: The Learning ... read more

I kind of dreaded returning to this album. Then I realized I don't have to, because it was a big shrug for me. There are a few bangers here, but they don't balance out the boring choices and unpleasant sounds throughout the album. It doesn't carry the energy I've come to expect from Dirtyphonics. I'm sure my mind would change if I heard these songs live (i.e. in their proper context), but as a record I play at home, it doesn't set itself apart enough from other projects I'd rather listen ... read more

Jon Foreman is such a talented musician with such a creative mind. He uses his talents and creativity here to make a very sweet, introspective album to which I will certainly be returning. When the Bible talks about singing a new song and praising God with all kinds of musical instruments (in this case, all sorts of ear candy and musical creativity), this is one of the things I imagine God had in mind. Fantastic project!

Favorite: Heaven Is Yours
Least Favorite: Stay Wild, Wildflower

🔴 i lay here
🟢 The other 6 tracks

This EP took me off guard in a wonderful way. The production is so interesting here, mixing heartfelt moments with headbanging heaviness. There are even some wonky rhythms in there to keep me moving. Although it doesn't quite have the depth and oomph to become a classic, it is a great addition to both artists' discographies.

Favorite: i guess i'm alone
Least Favorite: right back

🔴 Close To You
🟢 The other 4 tracks

This is Duumu in top form and perhaps at his full potential for the alias. It's a juggernaut of a farewell project that carries the emotional texture and weight of a farewell. Anger that the one leaving has to leave, sadness that they are leaving you behind, wistfulness for what could have been: Duumu captures all of this with a mixture of old and new styles that contribute to a satisfying package. What a special project!

Favorite: ... read more

🟡 Blossom
🟢 The other 13 tracks

What isn't there to say about Nurture? 10/10 production, creativity, emotion, songwriting, storytelling, theming, everything! To top it off, there is such sweet messaging in much of it that encourages me deeply. I could go on and on about this album. What a masterpiece!

Favorite: Something Comforting
Least Favorite: Blossom

🔴 Grateful
🟢 The other 6 tracks

Drinks On Me very much impressed me with this EP from the moment it started. It carries emotion I've not heard from him before, exploring heartbreak, helplessness, and hope with an upgrade of his earmark garage style. Although I liked Rise & Fall quite a bit, this EP is easily my favorite thing he's put out.

Favorite: Holding On
Least Favorite: Free Together (VIP)

🔴 Gravity, Misunderstood
🟢 The other 7 tracks

The only thing hindering this project from carrying the emotional weight it has the potential to is its lack of innovation. Most of the songwriting, production, and sound design here is par for the course in the melodic dubstep scene, so how someone feels about modern meldub will most likely determine how they feel about LUNAR-1. Thankfully, I still enjoy meldub, and this effort gives listeners much of the genre with above average quality. ... read more

zensei has been on my radar for a while, but I never got around to him until just recently with this EP. sound therapy is such a nice listen that showcases zensei's prowess as a downtempo artist. It was a good gateway EP to the rest of zensei's tunes. Laid-back yet interesting throughout.

Favorite: sound therapy
Least Favorite: morning coffee

Classical-inspired yet hard-hitting as ever, Caster brings the heat here. He masterfully executes what he's known for here: gritty sound design, experimentation hidden in coherence, and dark atmosphere to which people can't help but bang their heads. My only complaints are that it feels sometimes a bit samey and other times a bit obnoxious. Definitely an enjoyable listen though, after which I'll definitely need to sit down.

Favorite: Infortunii
Least Favorite: Ostinato

Kevin Quinn has consistently impressed me with his songwriting abilities and attention to detail in production since I found his music. Sure, this gets a bit corny sometimes, as it often does with artists popularized by kids' TV channels. But behind the Disney-Channel-ness of it all, you get a heartfelt album about a hard topic, and he executes his message quite well! Enjoyable album that always leaves me feeling better than when I started it.

Favorite: Rise Above
Least Favorite: Blessed

🔴 I Contain Flashing Images, Falling In Love
🟢 The other 13 tracks

Monstercat fans' reception of No Mana's music there has slightly bewildered me. He hasn't particularly wowed me since his debut, but he has definitely wowed others with tracks I find to be alright enough. Par for the course is what I expected from this album, although I was hoping to be proven wrong. Despite it having occasional variety, solid energy, and some downright gorgeous moments, most of the journey ... read more

🔴 Side Effects, D**n (You've Got Me Saying)
🟢 The other 12 tracks

Unfortunately, this fell way flat to me. I found very little heart, very little soul, and very little meaning in this album. Not every album has to have that, and one would think the danciness of Rx would make up for it. But it wasn't dancey enough for me either. There were slight peaks of enjoyment occasionally, but they were often overshadowed by the ennui and even frustration of getting through the tracklist. ... read more

Despite a bit of pitchy singing and some questionable mixing and mastering, acloudyskye brings the emotion in like a truck. Combining his unique electronic pop-rock sound, beautiful melodies, and punchy drums, he brings a variety that works to the project's favor. His songwriting also brings an emotional and poetic depth to the project that is rarely seen in the EDM world today. This album having been my first acloudyskye experience, I am excited to listen to his previous projects and hear what ... read more

🟡 Reincarnation, Nothing At All
🟢 The other 17 tracks

Upon reflection on this soundtrack's flaws, I noticed they were quite superficial. It is occasionally cheesy and may fall flat to those who have a dislike or indifference of musical theatre. But it does so many things right. It balances storytelling with musicality and poeticism masterfully. The actors use their great singing and speaking voices to play their characters well. And the musical's treatment of the source ... read more

Both a triumphant final project and satisfying first chapter of the trilogy. Sure, maybe it's nostalgia. Sure, maybe it's Nigel Good bias. But this is still a wonderful album that brings back some underrated voices and styles in 2010's EDM while maintaining a fresh vibe. This album closes the three-album project with style, serving as a big win for the family man.

Favorite: A Little Something
Least Favorite: Something Beautiful

🔴 Never the Same
🟢 The other 2 tracks

I've stood behind ARMNHMR for quite a while, getting a good bit of enjoyment from all their projects I've heard. While I still believe they can make some great music, this EP just isn't great. The tone, mixing, vocal delivery, and overall identity of this EP is quite scattered and uneven, making for an unimpactful, perhaps even uncomfortable, experience. Although most elements of this EP feel forced, you can tell that when ARMNHMR puts ... read more

Some pretty standard DnB that doesn't interest me past a first listen, as what it does right is done better in other projects. An enjoyable, albeit unremarkable, listen.

Favorite: Burn For You
Least Favorite: Diamond in the Rough