Review Summary: VIER is here.
Vision Recordings has been not-so-quietly pumping out some of the most eclectic and visceral music in the forward-thinking end of the drum and bass scene for a number of years now. Between their
MISSION compilation series and albums like Posij and Former's
Sun Tracker, there hasn't been much room for anything underwhelming or uninspired in their catalogue. Often defying genre constraints, their roster seems to walk freely across spectrums of style and tempo alike, keeping their sharpened swords of sonic defiance pointed firmly at the horizon. This embrace of borderless creativity has proven to be a winning attitude, attracting more and more artists to their movement and proving to the world that innovation is alive and well in the world of heavy electronic music. As such, when the news dropped that Thys (one third of the now-disbanded NOISIA) was pairing up with Holly, Machinedrum and Salvador Breed for Vision's next album feature, the buzz of anticipation was as strong as the label's penchant for shaking speaker cabinets.
Four acclaimed producers. Four very different catalogues. Four vertices with the potential to do something really special. The result? A varied and
mostly successful coalescence of elements that both dazzle and intrigue at every instance. There's a lot to unpack on
IIII but it doesn't feel like legwork thanks to smart transitions and a seamless architecture that keeps the affair moving at a brisk pace. Amalgamations of UK bass, 2-step, dubstep, breakbeat, footwork, jungle and EDM assemble themselves in curious fashions, not easily divided into singular elements. It's an energetic adventure that's eager to entertain, and the whole jaunt is rife with highlights showing all and sundry's fingerprints as they cover the album from head to toe in freshly minted garb.
Luckily, those fingerprints smudge together in a way that keeps the whole package cohesive through
IIII's 33-minute runtime. Machinedrum's signature beatcraft, for example, permeates many of the record's spaces and while his sound is hard to miss, it's baked into some serious dancefloor-ready swagger that's obviously bolstered by Thys and Holly's peak-hours mindsets and Salvador Breed's mindful ear. On tracks like the instantly brilliant "Control" and "Vai Pulando" it becomes even more evident that this group has grave intentions for their clamouring crowds, excising the exuberance of their histories with expert craftsmanship and leftfield sensibilities. Chopped rhythms and welcomed surprises await around every corner, and tracks seldom progress in a trite manner. Instead, the hivemind opts to abandon convention by injecting familiar elements in unfamiliar ways, like when "Solitu" deconstructs huge festival synths into a skewed mash of breakbeat aggression, or when the ominous horns of "Solaar 42" drop into a 2-step woodblock wobble of grand proportion. Well-informed by the veteran element,
IIII on the whole, knows what it wants and how to get it.
Unfortunately, despite the fantastic showing overall, there's also the issue of the last two tracks - a pair of tunes that aptly derail a generally focused momentum. Not only do they simply eschew the vibing flow of the record, they're also just not that good. "Quema Quema" with its leaning into hardstyle (fine as it is thanks to the group's dashing flair) sticks out like a sore thumb, and ending the album with the messy jungle-goes-punk "Look at the Trees", a track that rightfully should have been a standalone single at best, is a poor choice for a bookend. The silver lining here is that there's more than enough saving graces to forgive these small blunders, and thanks to a stacked deck of truly solid songs there's plenty of heat for listeners and DJs alike to enjoy.
Through it all,
IIII is sure to go down as one of Vision Recording's highlights of the year, and for many, a scene-spanning slice of history in the making. The intrepid splicing of disparate elements and the careful attention to detail across the board safely ensures longevity 'neath the glow of strobe lights and smoke, and the infectious rhythms are sure to capture a broad audience. Four producers and ten weapons later, 2025 has been blessed by a group that's pushing the scene forward in positive ways, blending a full platter's worth of genres into new forms that respect the integrity of the rave's storied history while looking boldly towards a future without limits.
