Review by Mike Hogan
These days, the EDM scene is moving at such a rapid pace thanks to the ever-growing festival scene and its endless, and never-resting internet presence. Its moving so fast in fact, that its really not such anastounding feat for an artist to pop up out of nowhere, seemingly overnight. It happens every day, all it takes is one solid and well-timed banger, and anartist is at the top of their game in no time flat. Producers have become just as disposable as DJs these days, and strictly speaking, a decent track isn't incredibly difficult to throw together; a succession of more-than-decent tracks however, is another story entirely. But Austin, Texas' Run DMT is a text book example of the latter. Run DMT came out of nowhere and made a name for themselves in the Dubstep scene overnight, and while such a sudden rise to acclaim is pretty much par for the course, Run DMT's ability to maintain that notoriety,and not fade away just as quickly as they showed up is truly impressive part. Their new album, Union Of Opposites, has become further testament to the fact that the Run DMT guys are here to stay. With each peek into the album's contents, Run DMT prove that Union OfOpposites is much more than just empty hype, and I can say without any hesitation, that every ounce of anticipation is thoroughly warranted.
Run DMT are known for their range of styles, from their more mainstream Dubstep tracks, to their experimental and glitchy tracks that some could dismiss as more of a personal indulgence and expression of musicianship. Not to say they aren't equally as impressive, but the Dubstep tracks are theones that will draw the bigger crowds. There is no denying that theexperimental tracks will have a hard time reaching fans; that's precisely why they're an experiment, however as good as the Dubstep, Drumstep, etc songs are on the album, the tracks that stuck with me, and proved to be really captivating, were the glitchy, atmospheric, experimental ones; the ones that are, by the books, supposed to be more unaccessible. “Epilogue” especially, is a fantastic track; not conventional by any means, but absolutely astounding. Of course,that's not to downplay the Dubstep tracks though, tracks like “Curse of the Mummy” or “Chakra” with Zardonic, are all absolute bangers. In fact, whenwriting a review of an album, I like to take notes on a collection of standout tracks when I give it a first listen, since I have the attention span ofroadkill, and this method helps keep me on track. This synopsis could rangefrom a small paragraph to a simple concise sentence. But looking back to my notes on “Curse of the Mummy”, I found I had left myself a moronically simple, “Oh my god.” But after another listen, I realized that little more needed to be said. The same sentiments really hold true for the whole album; sometimes the simplest assessments prove to be the most accurate.
In the end, I think very few will be surprised that Union OfOpposites turned out to be a remarkable album. I was honestly expecting a bitmore dubstep than experimental tracks, just to maintain a more mainstream fan-base, since they have reached the point in their career where that would be a concern to them, but I'm thankful that they stayed true to the music that they enjoyed creating; music that their fans will, in turn, enjoy even more. And as they should; albums often fall by the wayside in favor of mixes and such, but this is an album that truly stands on its own when compared to just about anything. But I don't think anyone expected anything less from Run DMT.
Also, while you're at it, don't forget to check out Perspective, the side project from John of Run DMT. Its sure to appeal to any Run DMT fan, combining their dubstep sound and their experimental side, with anamazing end result with a sort of trap feel to it. New material is on the wayfrom Perspective, including an official remix for The Who, so be sure to staytuned.
Run DMT "SUGARCUBE" **FREE DOWNLOAD**
ALBUM SAMPLER