Article by: Rob Burnet
Just months after first contact, AstroLizard is already taking Earth by storm with its debut LP, Bizarre Universe, out now on WAKAAN. Though their true identity remains a secret, this anonymous DJ’s music should not. Destined to garner significant attention following this release, they could be tearing the decks apart at Electric Forest or Lost Lands before you know it.
The intergalactic reptile of mystery crashed straight from the sky into the scene in February with “Psychonauts (AstroLizard Remix).” This creative take on Liquid Stranger’s stellar dubstep hit from his 2020 Ascension EP goes deeper and darker than the original. AstroLizard then slowly primed the bass community for this project, releasing singles “Space Cowboy,” “Big Wub Energy,” “The Mutation,” and “Need You” over the next few months.
Bizarre Universe eases the listener in with a zen, Japanese-garden vibe in “Mandala.” The track includes a classic dubstep beat with a deep kick drum, sharp snare, and quick hi-hat. AstroLizard allows the audience to relax in a mellow two-step before frying their brains with cybernetic glitching and heavy, raw bass.
This leads into “Space Cowboy,” the first single to be released from this LP. It is easy to see why this absolute jam was selected to reel people in. The intro has a slightly arpeggiated synth that slowly builds until the space cowboy himself drops it into a wonky, glitchy funk, akin to an interstellar “Ease Your Mind,” the electronic chart topper from Griz and Ganja White Night.
The love song of the LP, “Need You” was a surprise release in June. It’s a modern day melodic bass love song. The extraterrestrial producer gives the people everything they could ask for and more, showing off unreal sound design and a pair of killer drops. This high-energy brostep banger has an intensity that gives one goosebumps and would cause a crowd to lose their minds.
The ensuing transition is subtle and flows effortlessly. “On the Inside” begins with an ethereal soundscape and male vocals, leading to a powerful build up followed by a screamo drop into vomitstep. AstroLizard clearly wanted to make this track vibrate so he recruited PIERCE, the artist behind the song “Wobble,” in order to deliver a powerful and emotional track, seamlessly combining melodic and wonky elements to convey the overwhelming feeling of bottled-up suffering.
The reptilian producer quickly deescalates and puts the “Pieces” back together in a beautiful future bass tune. This is a collaboration with Leah Culver, a singer-songwriter-DJ who’s discography includes recordings with Marshmello, LSDREAM, and Yultron. Her echoing vocals along with the xylophone create a light and inspiring feel that serves as a nice introduction and also rides when the kick drum comes in.
The subsequent track, “Falling Down,” uses many different sounds throughout including a radio static male voice, a female vocal, big horns, phasers, kick drums, and fluid synths to create a masterpiece composed of future bass, melodic dubstep, and trap elements.
The title track “Bizarre Universe” holds true to the name as it takes the listener on a peculiar journey through space. This track puts AstroLizard’s sound design on center stage as they incorporate a complex assortment of sounds that somehow mesh together perfectly. It begins with an atmospheric future bass vibe that builds up into a steady tempo overlaid with crazy astral effects that make one want to speed through the cosmos at light speed.
Probably the slowest track on the LP, “The Mutation” is a space psycho circus full of sci-fi bleeps and high pitched dial tones. This song teleports the audience to a significant point in the artist’s life where the electronic noises and jarring bass transformed them into the persona they are now.
“Big Wub Energy” is exactly that; chopped synths, eerie phasers, and a supersonic bassline comprise a trap record that will either hypnotize you or prepare you for launch. This eclectic amalgamation of cold blooded audio closes the release with “Psychedelic Time Machine,” another mystical treasure that teleports the listener through time and space. The track incorporates more celestial chimes and chopped synths in a phenomenal close to this prime LP.
2021 is the year of the AstroLizard! Get in on the ground floor and watch this fresh face climb their way to the top of the charts. Who do you think could be behind the boards? You can listen to this artist and more on our New Music Friday Heat playlist.
CONNECT with AstroLizard:
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
LISTEN to AstroLizard:
Spotify | Apple Music | Beatport | SoundCloud
