A Symphonic Dubstep Orchestra, Starring Arkasia

According to this next mind-blowingly complex electronic dance music composer, Arkasia, his first musical endeavor commenced at the ripe old age of five, when he learned to play the violin. I imagine this artist’s early years to be a lot like this…

…except with music. You get it.

Whatever was actually driving the volition of this young whippersnapper is not clear however, what is rather transparent is the trailblazing path that Arkasia carved out to not only accrue his unique skill-set but also, stand far out and away from the competition. By age 10, he was performing in classical symphonies. By age 12, he was working on collaborative mini-operas.

“Mini-Operas,” are you kidding me?

No. No I am not.

From here, the still prepubescent Arkasia taught himself to play the drums, in a metal band no less. As if simultaneously playing two different beats with two different appendages wasn’t hard enough, he picked it all up in a genre whose rate can reach upwards of 350 beats per minute (quarter notes – used in “blast beat” metal). Prodigious, man.

Citing his influences as an eclectic array of musical genres including: classical, speedcore, breakcore, dnb, trip hop metal, and a host of others, Arkasia resurrects the classical arrangements of yore in a fashion Mozart might turn his nose at. Or maybe it would just blow his friggin’ mind.

Speaking honestly, I have never heard anything quite like “Gravity,” except maybe when listening to those antiquated acoustic compositions that use overrated “real-life” instruments.

“Symphonies,” you call them?

Ah, yes…but of course. Adjust your cochlea accordingly for this symphonic dubstep orchestra. So. Much. Movement.

Two More EDM Songs (Minus The ‘D’) [Free Download]

If the title left you scratching your beautiful little head, we’re sorry.

 

 

Please let me explain.

After stumbling upon both of these tracks in the very same day, I thought it proper to share them with you. The particular quality or motif that both of these songs share is a very simple concept to understand, however its role may be vitally important to the music industry as a whole. As stated in the title, both of these jams are EDM (Electronic Dance Music) without the ‘D’ or, more simply, Electronic Music.

Yeah, I get it. “EM,” as it shall be called, is most assuredly not a new concept in popular music. Hipsters have been doing it since they started making corduroy pants and fixed gear velocipedes (quintessentially indie way of saying “bicycles”)…and that’s a long time.

Trust me.

However, both of these tracks by artists AFK and Matchbox Orchestra incorporate particular qualities of Electronic Music that are more closely related to those heard in Electronic Dance Music. More often these days we are beginning to witness these electronic sounds pop up in any and every other genre of already established popular music. Instead of boring you with the details of what I mean exactly, I figured it might be more fun if you just listened. Try and tease out these concepts yourself. See if you can understand exactly what we are talking about.

Both “I forget” by Matchbox Orchestra featuring CubeKin and AFK’s remix of “Bride Side” by Protohype and Ras feature a more minimalistic “electronic” approach than most EDM productions. I say this because both artists are EDM producers by trade.

If anything, the two songs sound more like regular old rock jams than anything. In my opinion, this method serves to make the individual breakdowns all the more dulcet and indicative of the emotion the vocalist is trying to convey in their lyrics. Instead of being stagnantly satiated with overwhelming electronic arrangements, they are saved for a time when the song truly NEEDS it.

Good luck getting either of these tunes out of your heads.

1. Protohype – Bright Side ft. Ras (AFK Remix ft. DKS)

2. Matchbox Orchestra – I Forget ft. CubeKin