RL Grime drops bold debut with VOID
RL Grime, the Los Angeles-native electronic music producer/D.J., has made his name heard in the music scene with remixes, notably from the likes of Shlohmo, Benny Benassi and Rihanna, and EPs “Grapes” and “High Beams.” He has now finally released his debut studio LP, VOID. Collaborating with a slew of artists from different genres and musical styles, including Big Sean, Boys Noize and Djemba Djemba, RL Grime has created an album with a diverse soundset.
Local boy · Henry Steinway, who performs as RL Grime, is a lifelong Angeleno. His sound involves classic beats and covers many genres. – Photo courtesy of RL Grime
Focusing first on his tracks featuring other artists, the song “Danger (feat. Boys Noize)” is distinctly reminiscent of the dark atmosphere that pervades every Boys Noize song, and yet turns into a deep house track halfway through. It is very tastefully done, and continues to display this emerging subgenre present in nearly every electronic artist’s repertoire. “Kingpin (feat. Big Sean)” is a classic hip hop/trap-infused beat featuring some decent vocals by Big Sean. The slow, melodic measures of “Reminder (feat. How to Dress Well)” are perfect for a pair to dance to, with the beat refusing to recede at any time in the track. Grime allows Tom Krell enough room to shine, and yet displays his own flavors through just bass and beats. A beautifully composed piano riff in the background leaves a lasting impression. Lastly, among the tracks featuring other artists, “Valhalla (feat. Djemba Djemba)” displays some big room-style trap intertwined with the energy-driven percussion that Djemba Djemba is famous for.
As far as RL Grime’s solo endeavors in this album are concerned, “Core” has to be the track that stands out the most. The very first single that RL Grime debuted after the announcement of this album, it features some of the best basslines and 808 beats in the trap scene right now. This track is sure to be featured on sets of other D.J.s due to the impactful drop. Meanwhile, the melancholic and meditative melodies of “Monsoon” combined with hard bass and even harder drops produces a great track. The track has a continuous rhythm that hooks right from the first second. Another interesting track is “Julia,” a song that definitely does not fit its name. It’s full of garbled, hard synths and dark singing, revealing a somewhat new type of drum ‘n bass, but yet, the xylophone in the background calms this sonic onslaught.
“Site Zero/The Vault” contains some amazing and innovative percussion and bass work. Grime displays his technical expertise with crisp equalization and great tone coordination. This track is more of a journey than just a simple listen, and it’s also the longest track in the album, clocking in at seven minutes and 44 seconds. The song unexpectedly transforms into a tense tone with jarring screams, crescendoing up to a peak, before ending on a calm note.
“Scylla” is thoughtful, catchy and ripe with energy. This is RL Grime in his element, throwing out some hard trap that inspires. “Always,” the intro track in the album, is groovy, and features some great vocals. The most interesting, if not the most polished, track on the album is “Let Go (Interlude).” It functions very literally as a sort of break that Grime uses to create some thematic electronic tones and prepare audiences for the remainder of his album. The final track on the album, “Golden State,” has a very glitchy sound, and serves to create an inspiring ending to Grime’s debut album.
RL Grime has masterfully created an album that features some classic beats, plays around with tropes in electronic music and covers a wide array of genres. It features some great artists who come from different cultures and types of music. Overall, this is a fantastic debut that establishes RL Grime as a major player in the electronic music scene, and adds yet another name to the list of great artists to come out of Los Angeles.