Article by: Vassili Makavos
A stunning collaboration has taken place between the artists Fransis Derelle – a bass music producer, CRaymak – a hybrid trap producer, and Hvdes – a producer and singer with a very seductive voice. They have come together to unite their talents and forces to produce “Ember.” Give this track a listen and experience how its style is paving a new pathway with its unique evolution of future bass, trap, and dubstep.
From the second the song begins, the listener is whisked away to a supersonic world. An electric piano is heard playing like a music box, as an effective filter is heard phasing in and out on a string pad sustaining a Bb tone. Accompanying those elements very subtly and gently are piano chords following a very powerful chord progression: i – bVII – bVI – bVII – i (Gmin – FMaj – EbMaj – FMaj – Gmin), for those who have an appreciation for music theory. One may even say it is reminiscent of the score to Interstellar; at the very least invoking the atmosphere of that vastness of space, but in this case, the “tragedy in every ember.” Then, enter the soothing vocals of Hvdes to fill that vastness: “You are my strangest addiction, I could say I’ll quit without any conviction, I broke my own heart this time.”
This track is absolutely brilliant for many reasons; however, one aspect that stands out is the simple form and structure of the song. One could argue that “Ember” follows, in its most simple structure, that of a Strophic form or AA. What helps to make this clear and evident is how well laid out the lyrics are and how it influences each occurrence of the
i-bVII-bVI chord progression in the harmony mentioned earlier. This form is not only one of the most common, but has also been known as the song form or verse form, as it’s considered most basic because of how repetitive it can be. That being said, the challenge to writing good repetitive music, as these artists have achieved, is by gradually and constantly transforming and developing the theme or original material presented in the first verse of the song.
Now let’s break down one of the A’s from the AA. The basic layout for a single A section in this song would be best followed by the lyrical development leading into the drop to the height of the song. The first statement of the A section can be seen as verse-prechorus-chorus-drop. The second statement of the A is somewhat identical, but is slightly more developed and somewhat of a play on theme and variations. In other words, “Ember” has more of a form of AA, where after it repeats the listener hears a double time beat at the drop, rather than the traditional dubstep rhythm that occurs the first time. It is also subtly extended into the drop in the second prechorus, and then the true second drop takes place leading into the double time beat.
True genius lies within simplicity. Simplicity that holds one’s attention and does not get boring from being repetitive takes craftsmanship and originality. Therefore, this song without a doubt exhibits a level of genius that is not only well knitted together, but also very emotionally moving and powerful. Hvdes’ lyrical presentation and vocals take charge in such a way that from start to finish, whoever is listening is in for an intensely emotional ride. To whomever reads this article, take my advice – listen to this track with your loved one and experience not only the evolution of future bass, trap, and dubstep, but the emotional rawness and passion of the lyrics and vocals.
Be sure to stay tuned and follow Moon Lvnding’s #NewMusicFriday Spotify playlist to hear more hot releases like this! For more information on the artists responsible for this hit, check out the links below.
CONNECT with Fransis Derelle:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
LISTEN to Fransis Derelle:
Spotify | Apple Music | Beatport | SoundCloud | YouTube
CONNECT with CRaymak:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
LISTEN to CRaymak:
Spotify | Apple Music | Beatport | SoundCloud | YouTube
CONNECT with Hvdes:
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
LISTEN to Hvdes:
Spotify | Apple Music | Beatport | SoundCloud | YouTube
