The new album Disruptor of anonymous master of dark D&B arts REAPER releases today on BASSRUSH Records and its last single COACH is an insane choice for this finish-line. In which connection, not only it’s an insanely good track, but, quite literally, the way it sounds feels like Alice peeking through the looking-glass and spiraling into insanity.
Starting with a narcoleptic intro, that prepares the listener for what’s approaching and praises the D&B‘s defiant spirit, it later enters the main part of the song with REAPER’s signature distorted vocal refrain. The tonal and rhythmic properties of the latter serve as the foundation for the bass and synths, which is one of the reasons why REAPER – COACH sounds so unusual, but catchy at the same time. Although, the detuned and atonal sounds are one of Jungle’s and D&B’s trademarks, REAPER knows how to push this even further with rhythmic peculiarities and incredible sound design.
Speaking of which, if one pays attention to the message in the intro about D&B being “born” and “trialed” by coaches in a Spartan manner, the mechanic liveliness of the track starts making sense conceptually too. The bass not only mimics the vocal refrain, it almost feels as if the distorted vocals “become” the bass itself. Moreover, as the song progresses, everything gets more intense and more distorted, although, strangely, REAPER manages to avoid the sound getting too gritty for broader audiences. For a moment, it seems like the speakers acquire soul and try to communicate with the listener in an unidentifiable language.
Being one of those unmistakable tracks with BASSRUSH Records’ sound, COACH also brings Disruptor together conceptually. Several other REAPER’s releases, including singles from the new album REAPER – Disruptor, can be found here.
