If you have been following a lot of my reviews, you know that I have an endless amount of praise for Critical Music. Time and time again they are always pushing some of the freshest and most forward-thinking sounds in drum and bass, all thanks to the head honcho himself Kasra. If you have been living under a rock since the dawn of reality, Kasra exists as one of the largest tastemakers in the world of drum and bass, defined by not only his prestigious management of the label and his ability to find new artists to give them a spotlight while pushing established producers to new heights, but the man knows how to make some mean tunes too.
Giving some juicy A-side beef minimal into magic, this track opens up with the Kasra faire. Dark and space-like sounds fill the speaks but what always sticks out to me is the quality of the sound: you can tell that there is richness in even in something as simple as the white noise which serves as the perfect drop for the filtered drums and echoing crashing symbols. Then the track becomes everything you love about the man. Crisp drums punctuated by a strong overwhelming bassline that does not overstay welcome (less is more kids), all this garnished with an ambiance to give it a 3d feel. despite the crisp production, the thing that takes this track to celestial levels is the lyrical prowess of Slay. Adding some serious UK attitude to the track, Slay’s flow with words, undeterred confidence in his lyrics, and just strength in his diction add another cerebral level to this track, adding some serious heat in between all the sounds. You never want to Let It Slide the human element in electronic music and this track is a prime example of this.
If you’re unsure of what to do next then it would be to listen to I Don’t Know What The Future Brings. Kasra seems to pull out some tender vibes in this track, albiet in his own stylish way. Quick and easy to the point, this soulful track injects the funk in the intro with twisting synths mixed with keys that would trick you into thinking you’re listening to a nice liquid tune. Instead, you get some swell neuro. Despite having more of a less intense vibe compared to Let It Slide, the speed is there, found within the shuffling percussion laden over a thick breakbeat. The thing that really hooks you in the quality of the bass, shifting from a full filtered bass to twisted modulated goodness. The overall tracks has my favorite quality about Kasra’s production: it’s light enough in term of the sound but the overall construction of the track gives it an intensity to get you moving.
If you could point to the success of Critical Music, a large portion of it has to go to Kasra himself. Such is the ear that is able to hear and pick out some of the most forward-thinking music in drum and bass, it’s no surprise that the man himself is one of the ones that is pushing the genre to new heights himself. If you don’t believe me then this single will change your mind. Make sure you get your copy TODAY!.
https://www.facebook.com/kasracritical
https://www.facebook.com/criticalmusicdnb
https://www.beatport.com/label/critical-music/5862
https://kasracritical.bandcamp.com/album/let-it-slide-i-dont-know-what-the-future-brings
