Illenium

Illenium's Risen is the kind of album that will cause jaws to drop. Opening with the silky vocals of Sirma on "Drop Our Hearts," which has a grimy sort of Skrillex growl at the drop, the record moves to a more club-like vibe on "Up," incorporating a monumental build topped...

By Britt Chester

January 30, 2014

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Illenium's Risen is the kind of album that will cause jaws to drop. Opening with the silky vocals of Sirma on "Drop Our Hearts," which has a grimy sort of Skrillex growl at the drop, the record moves to a more club-like vibe on "Up," incorporating a monumental build topped with screwed vocals from Lil Wayne's "Up Up and Away." The music has a trap feel, but there's not as much of the dirty-South drawl that's so prevalent out there right now. "For Truth" could have come straight off a lost Glitch Mob album, but it also hints at the source of Illenium's inspiration and possibly nods to the direction in which he's moving. "Focus," the closing track, offers a subtle comedown. All in all, this four-song EP is a solid snapshot of genre-merging music that flows perfectly. File under "must have."

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Britt Chester is a writer and video producer living in Denver, Colorado. He's covered breaking news, music, arts and cannabis for Westword since 2010. His work has appeared in GQ Magazine, Village Voice, YES! Weekly, Inman News and the Winston-Salem Journal. He likes running, cycling, and interviewing people.

Contact: Britt Chester

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