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Review Summary: Complex harmonies in electro house? Impossible! 7 Minutes Dead’s debut self-titled EP is somewhat of an anomaly. Rather than electro house’s stereotypical always-four-on-the-floor beats, total lack of harmony, and 5 to 6 minute song runtimes, 7 Minutes Dead is chock full of 6/8 sections, a full-bodied host of chords, and rather lengthy tunes. Of course, it’s entirely possible I’m misapplying the label “electro house” to this release. I mean, God forbid any electro house release be even mildly melodic - some would argue that electro house is meant to be all distorted wubs all the time, always over some standard and derivative beat, a song meant to be fun immediately and not have much lasting value. The Dallas, Texas-based producer’s “uncouth” additions of interesting clean synth lines and unnerving beat switch-ups is sure to anger a few people who want their electro the same way every time, but to be honest I doubt most people will care. This is fun, energetic (if out-of-the-ordinary) house music with its fair share of wobbles and 4x4 beats, and most people will be satisfied by Monstercat’s labeling “Sidewinder” as electro house, considering it an adequate description of the EP.
All this, I suppose, brings us to the bread and butter of this review: is it good? Ignoring the big red “3.5” at the top of the page for a moment, just because something is different doesn’t mean it’s going to be any better. Look at Seven Lions, for example - his refreshing blend of trance and heavy dubstep has worn thin, and once the novelty of “Hey, someone actually mixed together trance and dubstep pretty well!” wears off, every one of Seven Lions’ songs sound pretty much the same (with the exception of the excellent “She Was”). Thankfully, the answer to the above question is a resounding “Yes, it is.” As I hinted before, 7 Minutes Dead starts off as interesting and remains that way throughout. For example, lead single and standout track “Sidewinder” utilizes a longer song structure in a way which is efficient and fascinating, staying far away from the danger zones of “boring” and “overlong.” I don’t think the excellent synth solo in the middle would have been able to fit in had the song been the standard length of 5 and a half minutes, and it ends up working out quite well as what sounds like guitar harmonics contribute to the serene yet full-of-life atmosphere of the song. Nor would the sudden 6/8 section have felt right had the song been more “standard,” and it’s quite beneficial to the tune as a whole.
The rest of the EP follows suit quite nicely, and I suppose that makes for my only real criticism of the album - there’s virtually no variety here. I say “virtually” because all four songs have their own quirks that make them worthwhile, but one can only stand so many clean synths, toned-down electro wobbles, and relaxed house beats before things start to blend together just a tad. It’s not a huge complaint - it keeps the EP from taking that final step from great and worthwhile to something more than that - but there’s definitely an element of homogeneity here that doesn’t exactly help the whole thing. However, 7 Minutes Dead, even if it does almost inexplicably piss a few people off in the end, is a fascinating and refreshing trip out of the crushing and omnipresent stagnation in electro house. Standard lack of harmonies be damned - 7 Minutes Dead shows the world here that complex harmonization is not only possible but also potentially very beneficial, and producers everywhere should take note.
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Album Rating: 3.5
Sidewinder: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3tWWV04SvE
wub wub wub although it's not quite as wub wub wub as it could be
Also, apologies in advance to staff/mods/others responsible for reading my contrib application - I
said I'd try to only post 2 Muzik Dizcovery reviews per month, but I'm receiving two albums from MD to
be released on April 29th so I'll probably end up writing 4 MD reviews this month. This one's Sput
exclusive, though
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I might be in the minority here, but I do not really care for EPs. There are so many full-lengths to talk about and you have the skills, do it! Leave this EP thing for beginners, or for really noteworthy EPs.
In that way you would avoid writing "filler" paragraphs like the last two. Everything worth saying was said in the first one.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
You thought my last 2 paragraphs were filler? Never thought of it that way. I thought the first was the most unnecessary out of the three, but thanks for the feedback! I do think I'll continue reviewing EPs, though, as some of my favorite artists only release EPs and singles, which makes for a difficult time reviewing. Plus, I wanted to get this release known since I hope 7MD has a lot going for him in the future. My next few reviews will be full-lengths, though.
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monstercat is such an iffy label
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
tis true, but this is one of their best
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Solid review. Have a mind-pos.
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@Brostep:
The first paragraph contains the essential information about the EP. I understand the following two try to expand on what you stated in the first one, but given this is a short release, it is kind of unnecessary.
The second one reads like a digression, and the conclusion is not bad, but it really did not add any of substance to what you already said. I am not saying this is a bad review, of course, but this is the problem with EPs: sometimes you are forced to write more than what is needed.
In fact, your first paragraph is a very good example of concise writing, which is more difficult to do than lengthy pieces, and, considering the attention span of most readers, it is also more profitable.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Thanks a ton for the input. I was worried it wasn't enough because I felt like it talked about what the EP was rather than its quality, so I tried to touch on the quality of the EP in the 2nd paragraph and use the 3rd to close the review off. What in particular strikes you as a "digression" in the 2nd?
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All this, I suppose, brings us to the bread and butter of this review: is it good? Ignoring the big red “3.5” at the top of the page for a moment, just because something is different doesn’t mean it’s going to be any better. Look at Seven Lions, for example - his refreshing blend of trance and heavy dubstep has worn thin, and once the novelty of “Hey, someone actually mixed together trance and dubstep pretty well!” wears off, every one of Seven Lions’ songs sound pretty much the same (with the exception of the excellent “She Was”). Thankfully, the answer to the above question is a resounding “Yes, it is.” As I hinted before, 7 Minutes Dead starts off as interesting and remains that way throughout. For example, lead single and standout track “Sidewinder” utilizes a longer song structure in a way which is efficient and fascinating, staying far away from the danger zones of “boring” and “overlong.” I don’t think the excellent synth solo in the middle would have been able to fit in had the song been the standard length of 5 and a half minutes, and it ends up working out quite well as what sounds like guitar harmonics contribute to the serene yet full-of-life atmosphere of the song. Nor would the sudden 6/8 section have felt right had the song been more “standard,” and it’s quite beneficial to the tune as a whole.
Someone might find the sections in bold informative and relevant to the topic, but, in my opinion, they could be trimmed without hurting the review in the least. If anything, I find them distracting. I am not saying you should actually cut them out; I am just responding to your question.
Another way to put it: if I need to go back to this review, I certainly would not re-read the second paragraph. Nor the third.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Awesome, that's really helpful. I'll try to incorporate that into my next review.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
This EP kicks some asses
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