You know…oddly enough…I think if I was to look back through our entire history there would be less than a handful of reviews on what I’d consider to fit into the ‘dance-music’ category. With the partitions in this genre being so extremely-edged, parameters like electronic/dance music can only go so far to describe a sound, and are not to be confused with EDM, electronic dance music. And then of course, you hardcores already know, there’s even IDM, and so on… You see now, dear readers, what we’re really up against when we reviewers put our pens to paper…or at least plug our keyboards in…
Meet the band We Are Galilee, an electronic/dance ensemble consisting of an entire collective of collaborative talents. Assembling the skills and sounds of these artists, songwriters, producers and DJ’s is Douglas Garnett; his determination to create new and exciting sounds in the EDM genre has pulled in talent from one coast to the other, all in search of those new, exciting textures in sound.
The We Are Galilee method of pulling you in as a listener with their sharply produced cuts and savagely dynamic rhythms is second to none. Personally I liked reading that there were many hands involved in the making of this EP…to me, it allows me to turn my brain off in its quest for predictions, and just listen. There’s a fantastic blend of sounds here, a real treat to listen & move to the music on Arrival.
Starting out with the piano-led title-track, “Arrival” features Moseley…I’m assuming on the vocals as this is the only time the EP plays with any lyrics. In any event, the vocal flow and tone are beautiful, and as the track eventually pulses and swells in a more typical EDM format, it all comes together swirling into the perfect. Clever breakdowns, like those that occur about two-minutes and fifteen seconds in, really do a lot to both diversify and challenge themselves in sound. The way We Are Galilee brings the beat back after that break? Pure awesome.
“OK Let’s Begin,” a track you’d almost assume they’d open the EP with, comes out with a slick electro-pulse and groove…almost subtle in spots, explosive in others. This thang has that unbreakable beat though…that low-end pulse you just can’t get enough of; combined with all of the excellent electro-vibes and instrumentation happening and you’ve got the recipe for one hell of a track. “OK Let’s Begin,” is extremely fun to listen to, one that you have to assume was equally as fun to make for the contributing members of We Are Galilee.
Personally…not only have I not personally reviewed a ton of EDM, but I grew up on the IDM side of the fence, latching onto well-knowns like Aphex Twin & Squarepusher before eventually skirting down every dark alley of IDM into places like Venetian Snares or Lyua Dust. So for me…when these guys are mentioning that they want to take EDM to a new place, to me, the first thing I could think was, ‘well, bridge the gap between EDM & IDM…blur those lines…’
And here, on “Moon Travel 2020” I believe they’ve done just that. There is so much incredible detail put into this track, every one of its clicks, beeps and pops come out screamingly bright and really get their own chance to shine, even with everything else going on. It rips along at a perfectly intense and electrifying pace, making for one of the most satisfying ventures into We Are Galilee’s new take on the EDM genre.
It wraps up with the instrumental version of “Arrival,” the title-track that brought us here. Bringing it all full-circle; if there’s one thing you can never take away from electro-infused music, it’s just how far these artists can take you in a very short time. The talent assembled into We Are Galilee have put together a real sonic journey here, in a short set of songs that will assuredly get you dancing, yes, but also enthusiastically looking forward to whatever they might come up with next!
Find out more about them direct from their page!
Jer@SBS – http://sleepingbagstudios.ca/
