For those who weren’t already salivating over the promise of a full-length album from The Upbeats, Vision of course is smart enough to tease the heck out of it, having released a few tracks before the big drop on August 27. The D&B gods of ‘Infinity’ must be smiling upon us this day as well, as they have deigned to bestow upon Your EDM and all its readers an advance full stream of the latest single, out this Friday, August 13.
It really seems at though the kiwi duo has pulled out all the stops for the new album, titled Not Forever, and made their signature hard mass-meets-beautiful-sound-design style hit at the highest possible level. From the extremely unique, bell-like snares and vapor wave synths in “Realm” to the tron-inspired melodies supporting vocalist Sylvee’s lyrics in “Divide” to the almost excruciating buildup into a heart-rendlingly emotional drop of “Horizon” and the equally emotional amen vibes of the title track, it’s clear fans should prepare to pull a heavy bassface while simultaneously crying and managing goosebumps.
As a somewhat cheeky contrast to the album’s title Not Forever, the next single “Infinity” featuring Jordan Dennis and Levine Lale is a bit of a surprise in the intro, as it starts out with sort of a funky dub trap beats and vocals to match. The ambient harmony work in the background, however, confirms that the listener is, in fact, hearing an Upbeats track as the intro quickly drops into a monster, cacophonic wall of synth. Once again, if this drop doesn’t induce goosebumps in the listener, said listener may want to consider checking one’s pulse.
From the initial drop, “Infniity” is then filled with heavy bass synths, emotive, almost dissonant minor key tones and whip-fast, spiral snares. Also full of breaks and tempo changes, the staff is lit up like a dubstep track, pushing the EQ at every moment to the point where it’s difficult to see where said breaks and tempo changes even are on the track’s timeline. Such compositional work seems to be typical for Not Forever, but it’s nonetheless overwhelming both sonically and emotionally, in the best ways possible.
It won’t come as a surprise that a full album from The Upbeats backed by Vision would hit in such a way, but that doesn’t dull the actual visceral effect Not Forever will have on its listeners. It’s going to be an absolute spiritual experience to hear the tracks on full rigs during their tour of New Zealand this fall and around the globe as more DJs will be sure to play them. Packed with heavy bass and tunes that touch the heart, the way this album will resonate with fans and through the ages, ad infinitum.
“Infinity” drops in full purchasable form this Friday, August 13 on Vision Recordings. The full Not Forever album can be pre-ordered and pre-saved via multiple platforms by clicking here.
Featured image photo credit: Oliver Crawford
