Article by: Annalee ‘Alee’ Noel
Hot on the heels of a month-long US tour with Wakaan leader Liquid Stranger on his Balance Tour, today Redrum releases her much anticipated EP Chaos Theory on Wakaan. The album features four incredibly unique tracks each pushing the limits of bass music, bringing light airy vocal samples, tribal influences and sporadic acid breaks and basslines. There’s a quiet confidence from Redrum on Chaos Theory, as she matures from her previous releases. You’re going to bassface to “Idiosyncrasy,” drift away into the beautiful sonic landscape she created in “Paradigm Shift” and “Twilight,” and completely fall in love with her title track “Chaos Theory.”
The EP opens with “Chaos Theory,” a sophisticated and dramatic song, proving you don’t have to charge out of the gate to capture the listener. The incredible vocal sample treatment evokes a sense of nostalgia and ethereal togetherness while the bassline provides a grounding foundation. Slow sweeping synths throughout provide a sense of movement and a sweeping feeling of being immersed into her epic soundscape. I would love to listen to this one live and hear where she edits it into her set, as it’s one that will definitely capture audience attention.
“Paradigm Shift” doesn’t give you a chance to find your thoughts as you are pelted with little blips of bass shifts balanced out with a female vocal and a self-assured laugh calling you into the crunching lyrics. Her use of heavy air in the vocals are balanced with the distortion in the bass and the string-like synth elements, creating a lovely unsettled, yet strong, vibe. This track written by someone else might not stand as well on its own, but Redrum completely kills it.
The third song, aptly named “Twilight,” sweeps you into a full sonic palette of chimes, watery samples and female vocals, all sprinkled into air-punching bass. The arrangement is masterful, with every sound having its own space to play and add depth. The buzzy bass motif evolves over the course of the track creating some intriguingly lush dynamics beyond what you would hear on more typical bass music. The track’s backbone reminds me of Pretty Lights’ “Finally Moving” mixed with the complex soundscapes of The Glitch Mob, definitely two artist references I would not expect to come to mind, but Redrum is clearly in a lane of her own and paving the way quite well.
The final track “Idiosyncrasy,” released previously as a single with Wakaan on February 22nd, has its own visualizer on Youtube and is a strong closer to the Chaos Theory EP. Not only is it heavy hitting with that satisfying crunchy bass, but it also has a level of additional sophistication with the audio sample of a scientist deftly tucked in throughout, adding suspense and an intelligent turn to the track. How she places his words that make you lean in to understand is very nuanced. The closing idea presented by the vocal sample: “You see here kid, you just gotta go for it, don’t think about what comes after or what came before. You just gotta bend your knees, take a deep breath and jump, and you might think: ‘What if I fall?’ Well, what if you don’t? What if you fly?” leaves the unrestrained desire of wanting much, much more.
Redrum is definitely one to watch as she solidifies her place in the bass scene and continues to develop a world that is sonically pleasing and expertly crafted based on her multifaceted production skills. She is set to appear on a number of curated shows like the G Jones’ IllusoryOS Tour and festival line-ups, including Ubbi Dubbi in Texas, as the EDM scene gears up for spring and summer. Make sure that Redrum is solidly set in your schedule because she is absolutely not one to miss and use the links below to stay current with all her latest news.
CONNECT with Redrum:
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LISTEN to Redrum:
Spotify | Apple Music | Beatport | SoundCloud
