Cortex Chronicles Volume 3, Part 2 (VA) [Brainrave Music]

Brainrave is a label that constantly pushes their boundaries in every possible way – the crew of people are dedicated and focused on growth, their A&R absolutely exploded in the last few years, and they are covering more and more of the world’s talent every day. This evolution couldn’t be more present in this offering that features some of the best and brightest newer producers in the scene as well as veteran legends alike. These guys have released an echelon of absolutely devastating tunes across the heavy drum and bass spectrum over their entire roster – Dr. Cortex’s mad mind is fed well.

Arriving with a bang the second half to the absolutely storming VA, Cortex Chronicles Volume 3, includes compositions from The Smell of Males, Project Zeus ft. Dropset, Noisesmith, NEMY, Venshu, Esym, Qmare, and Maurizm. These pieces were carefully curated by the Brainrave Music (BRM) team, and include only the best quality neurofunk possible. This time we are blessed with a mix from the BRM US resident DJ, Nox, who has showcased all of the tunes on this VA in one spot so that people can hear these tunes in the mix. Nox is known for his energetic mixing and dedicated musical research, so it’s a real treat to hear tunes from the label mixed in key and on time. Check out these compositions in the mix below:

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%3Atracks%3A2181541535″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]

Nox laced these tracks up properly! The man is a machine. Before we get into the track by track I wanted to spotlight one of the main philosophies of BRM, the development of new producers. These guys help people level up their production game constantly across their talented roster and realize that the real lifeblood of the scene is the new generation, offering one on one advice or lessons, as well as wisdom from the scene itself. In this spirit one of the featured artists on this compilation, Noisesmith, has offered some advice for producers – something to live by:

Consistency is key. Leveling up does not happen overnight. Inspiration isn’t there 24/7. When it’s not, use that time to get familiar with a new plugin, do a mixdown, gather samples. The point is, make sure you are making the most of the time you spend in the DAW. You stand on your previous work, so growth is exponential as long as you’re consistent.

Seems pretty simple, but getting onto the DAW every single day takes discipline and structure. Once it’s like second nature the music flows differently. With that, let’s get into the track-by-track from these talented and dedicated producers:

Noisesmith – NOX: This savage tune has been doing some damage this year already, its iconic intro synth being recognized immediately in sets. My favorite thing about this tune is the use of wild rhythms, which is a cornerstone of skullstep, but something about the amens into the straight ahead just wrenches you. This composition is true neurofunk in the fact that it totally fucks with your head – everytime that amen comes in I expect it to continue driving forward, but Noisesmith sits back on the groove and adds just enough space in the groove to pull the listener in. Shows a cheeky bit of humor at the end, quoting the iconic jesse.

NEMY – Ebonwild: Known for his dark and disgusting sound, NEMY brings a post-apocalyptic bomb to the VA with Ebonwild. This piece utilizes a fading drop which really accenutates the fleshy thud of the kick drum, which just smacks you in the face the entire way through, reminiscent of NickBee in the fact that this is a kick-oriented composition. The eerie and stripped back intro allows this dynamic main section to glue together whatever sub-genre you want and know its going to bang.

The Smell of Males – Party Time: Party time is what I would call classic TSOM sound, which is crazy considering they have just EXPLODED onto the scene recently. This track features that thick and rolling bass and driving, chuggy energy I have come to love from this producer. This track is an absolute headbanger from it’s head to toe, the laser screechy chaos that runs through it is just a blast to listen to. I would love to hear this live as it’s just my kind of tune, and TSOM have become an insta-download.

Esym – Finality: It’s really nice to hear a melodic bassline in neurofunk and this piece brings a melodic approach that reminds me of Black Sun Empire with the open but full mix, crunchy ear candy, and iconic pads. This tune opens with an epic feel, utilizing dark pads and vocal stabs to deepen the texture of the tune and quickly drops into a melodic reese line to setup the crushing drop – those reeses get turned up to ten. Switching between that melodic bassline and a thumpy triplet, Finality has a little bit of everything.

Project Zeus ft. Dropset – Pilfer: Opening with another tonally rich intro, this tune ramps up QUICK with the drums and the artists take some dark and minor tones from the intro to enrich their drop. Another melodic tune! They flow through this like filth through the gutter, building twisting basslines around a vocal drone that helps dictate the key as they continue suspending their melody throughout the tune. This piece is a great example of how neuro can still have musicality and feeling, with the producers trusting their sounds to shine through tonal content – it’s the type of tune that really brings listeners in during the mix as well as at home. I hear so many vocal blends over this, i’m excited to mix it!

Venshü – The Darkside: Sinister sounds coming out of this artist within this composition, utilizing all of the distortion to achieve an absolutely crushing and chaotic sonic palate. Full of noise and wild synth work, The Darkside slams you in the face with punchy drums, towering builds, and an even crazier second drop in which he splits the rhythm and plays with the sound even more. Pure energy.

Qmare – Sinusoidals: This tune builds in such a crazy way, almost coming out of nowhere with a vocal sample to bring in the drop. The exposed breaks on the intro don’t give away the tune at all, and when this one drops you’ll hear a clear technoid influence as well as some really interesting and absolutely crushing reese work. The artist continues to surprise the listener with continued changes and rhythmic switches. The bookends of the drops are just totally insane in the best way possible, and it’s totally because of how the producer decided to drive them through with the vocals. This tune has a little bit of everything from tech, to tearout, to wobbly bass. Stuck in my head!

Maurizm – Last Chance: Starting with a snappy kit, Maurizm opens up the earth with a massive synth build that starts from the core and breaks into a massive thumpy groove. It’s the type of tune that just rips the dancefloor apart and drives dancers into a frenzy. The drive, the hats that ping pong, the crazy timing on the main thump, this is just built for war. Nothing else to say, just an absolutely slamming tune that goes straight in my crate!

This final eight completes the volume from BRM, Cortex Chronicles Volume 3. All of the artists and BRM crew absolutely outdid themselves with this VA and I encourage everyone interested in heavy music to delve into Brainrave’s catalog. Purchase the second half below!

Purchase Cortex Chronicles Volume 3, Part 2 HERE