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Metal puritans will have you believe that heavy and electronic music, cultures and crowds have absolutely no business blending in for whatever reasons, but those of us who have spent enough time among the wonders of the industrial and electronicore realms know all too well that when done right, it really is a match made in heaven. And if there is one person that knows how to execute the volatile blend between drum'n'bass, heavy bass and modern metalcore to absolute perfection it is Sydney-based producer and DJ PhaseOne.
His latest PhaseOne X UNFD EP sees him not just embrace his roots and collaborate with some of the brightest stars in the scene, but enter the brilliant UNFD roster, which makes so much sense if you are familiar with his past work. The producer has been consistently releasing absolute bangers for a decade, and is no stranger to teaming up with heavyhitters like In Hearts Wake, Crystal Lake, Thy Art Is Murder, Escape The Fate and Silverstein, but what really got my attention was his 2019 anthem 'Crash & Burn' with Northlane. And now he is back with yet another exemplary collection of EDM-core beauty.
The metal world tends to see such collabs as conventional heavy tracks, infused with electronic samples, synths, and atmospheric layering, but you can apply the same logic to traditional electronic compositions fulled by riffs, breakdowns and extreme vocals and the result is even better. I've always found it very curious that there are many established producers and DJs who have either started in garage bands or are openly invested in the heavy scene. And while most delve into dropping remixes and reimagining favourite metal anthems, very few attempt to create original tracks that blend the best of both worlds like PhaseOne has been doing for years, establishing a signature sound that is hard to miss.
I vividly remember hearing Pendulum's 'Self vs Self' featuring Anders Friden from their 2010 classic Immersion, and being awestruck by how Rob Swire managed to capture the essence of In Flames so seamlessly and infuse it into the track. Without drawing parallels, although the influences are hard to miss, I feel the same way with PhaseOne X UNFD EP now. These four tracks aren't just PhaseOne's original productions featuring vocals by Jamie Hails, J.T Cavey and Jesse Cash, Jack Bergin and Emmy Mack; these are actual collabs that do deliver PhaseOne's trademark production, but also perfectly reflect Polaris' raging intensity, ERRA's sleek proggy vibe, Void of Vision's uncontainable frenzy, and RedHook's youthful energy.
Each of the four singles is a standalone rager with unique flavour and mood, and when put together they blend into a brilliant collection of contemporary metal and rock welded to envigorating drum'n'bass and EDM, decorated with distinctive Aussie freshness (we will naturalise ERRA here for the sake of the argument). The opening 'Icarus' is a mamoth of an electronicore anthem that has been on repeat since last July; 'World Unknown' is a beatiful atmospheric track that shifts tempo and mood with flair; 'Eyes Wide Shut' is a restless goth rave that easily shines as one of 2023's best singles so far; and the closing 'Gangrene' is an uplifting anthem that is bound to send waves throughout the upcoming summer months.
Without a doubt, PhaseOne X UNFD will be an instant cult classic for everyone who is open to the wonderful niche world of EDM-core or however you chose to describe this volatile conconction of traditions, conventions, themes and energies. Knowing PhaseOne's past work, I am already looking forward to where he goes next, and lets just hope the UNFD roster is open for more of these beauties as the potential for collaborations there is limitless!
PhaseOne - PhaseOne X UNFD
Country: Australia
Released: 5 May 2023
Label: Self-release (under license to UNFD)
Tracklisting:
1. 'Icarus' (PhaseOne x Polaris)
2. 'World Unknown' (PhaseOne x ERRA)
3. 'Eyes Wide Shut' (PhaseOne x Void Of Vision)
4. 'Gangrene' (PhaseOne x RedHook)
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