- Filed under
- Drum and Bass and
- Dubstep and
- Hip Hop
Culprate has made his name for himself in the undergroud dubstep scene with his unique sound and energy-infused, addictive style. His meticulous, particular use of sound allows him to not only differentiate his music, pulling away from the pack, but also simultaneously, pushing the possibilities of the genre as a whole. This past the August the 20th, Culprate released his Nightmares In Reality and EP. In my opinion, it’s one of the best dubstep releases this summer.
“Hall Of Mirrors“ opens with echoing vocal harmonies, inducing a loop of quick stabs of electronic keys, before an obnoxious bassline punches in and out. Culprate also adds a euphoric rave-like style to this tune.
“Two“ is a supernatural adventure, beginning with a transposed vocal sample and a burial type drum loop tying all the instruments together. Adding to the mystery, Culprate makes use of some really interesting percussion hits and haunting female vocals. This tune also features one of the most amazing synth lines I have herd in a while. “Two” constantly keeps you guessing on the edge; never taking a solid line, and is my personal favorite tune on the entire EP.
With a mischievous fast paced flute lead, dancing beneath a neurofunk type bassline, grime meets hip-hop in “Nightmares In Reality” while reflecting Maksim’s angry lyrics.
Following a simple two step percussion pattern that appears to echo the chilling effect of the chimes, an exotic melody and female vocals lead us to a powerful bassline. Add some snapping and growling at the listener in “Tooth Fairy“, and it truly terrifies. Culprate does an amazing job at mixing the light melodies with harsh and heavy bassline drops.
“Diablo” begins softly, like many of the other tunes on this EP, however; Culprate switches it up using a Drum and Bass beat effectively to torment the listener. The tempo then take a turn, and evolves into something fresh and interesting before leaving you with one last punch.
…
Criticism: With some pretty un-original, stereotypical lyrics, Maksim’s vocal contribution to this EP challenged the originality of Culprate’s “Nightmares in Reality”
Closing thoughts & Rating: The variety of themes incorporated throughout, make for a beautiful piece of work. The originality of Culprate never lets up, allowing his music not only to be heard, but to be experienced; there’s a whole lot of energy in this album. Whether listened to through singles or on the whole, the EP makes for an absolutely wonderful listening experience. 8/10.
Available now from Beatport and iTunes.
About the author:
