Audio By Carbonatix
Glitch-hop/mid-tempo/psychedelic bass producer VibeSquaD (aka Aaron Holstein) showcases his vast talents on his latest full-length, The Fire. The complex layers of each track are flawlessly arranged; even better, he has a keen sense of dynamics, perfectly dropping split seconds of nothingness into each track. “Freshmaker” opens the album with squiggly squeaks and breaky beats, and in “Flipping Acrobats,” the producer utilizes distorted hip-hop samples and wobbly bass lines to carry the sound. “Funkwear,” “Fumbletron” and “Snapdragons” bring in clean taps and beeps outlining the rhythm, while eerie synthesized keys and dirty bass provide the melody. Closing up shop with scratch-heavy “The FIRE Man” and the sweeping “Empower the Wallflower,” VibeSquaD’s work on this album, particularly the precise complexity of his beats, is reminiscent of Squarepusher — only more approachable. A strong, enjoyable effort, The Fire is guaranteed to set glitch-hop fans aflame.
