BEST NEW MUSIC: RL GRIMES X GRAVES - ARCUS

by Kurt Kroeber
2/15/19

Okay, so you’ve got the Mount Rushmore of bass genre-- who’s on there? Rusko for revolutionizing Dubstep? Skrillex for bringing it into the mainstream? Bassnectar for y’know being Bassnectar? How about this one… my vote (and you should take this seriously because I am an official board member for the monument coming to EDC Las Vegas this June) would be for RL Grime to fill in that fourth spot. 

While we’ve seen trap come and go from the public love affair it once had, Grime seems to be the stalwart that has not only stood the test of time, but even evolved with it. RL Grime’s best tracks were never just one thing. Hard-hitting hi-hats aside, he’s got the middle-eastern influence of “Core,” the banging horns of  “Tell Me,” the astounding beauty of “Because of U” and the quintessential trap tune of all time: his remix with Salva of Kanye West’s “Mercy.” I mean seriously would trap have even made it this far without this track?

So when RL Grime drops the first track off his new label, we should probably pay attention, right? I mean of course we should being paying attention to every song he releases, but a new label? First official track without the man breathing down his shoulders? This is a statement.

 

RL GRIME X GRAVES - ARCUS

And boy is it a strong one at that. “Arcus” from RL Grime and Graves is as good (if not better) than anything either artist has released up to this point. That’s like saying better than the best. We need to develop a new word for bestest. Bester? Hmmm…

It’s silky smooth and furiously heavy, taking both sides of the bass genre sound and ratcheting them up. I most certainly intended the double-entendre of ratchet as in tool and also the kind of club kid who gets to hype to trap music. This is a ratchet anthem, but one that has a strong emotional resonance. Grime and Graves seem to have found the perfect territory to make people think about their feelings while they’re partying harder than they’ve ever partied before. This is ethereal, a pick you up and drop you off at Zeus’ Mt. Olympus kind of track. This is the soundtrack to a bittersweet viewing of the end of the world.  And that-- is why Grime gets situated on Mt. Bassmore.

To the world’s young bass-genre producers, looking for a leg up: look no further.  The legend paying some of his  good fortune and producing wizardry forward.  Send your demo submissions to Sable Valley-- for those “looking for a new way to co-exist through sound.” Down.

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From deep within the murky depths of the Los Angeles River emerged a creature: 50% raver, 50% comedian, 10% Robotcop. Kurt Kroeber doesn’t own a dog, operates Soundbleed (the world’s only dance party comedy talk show rave), and is down to party with you. Come up some time and say “Hey dude!” But definitely make sure to casually drop the secret Illuminati password.