El Paso-based producer Dead has been paving a lane for himself in the dubstep scene with a sound entrenched in dark and heavy elements. Making his debut on NGHTMRE and SLANDER’s Gud Vibrations imprint comes the thrashing riddim cut “Mines Aggression.”
Living up to its title, the single is an aggressive riddim weapon primed for destruction.
Opening with an understated introduction, Dead crafts a cinematic soundscape that’s riddled with ominous energy and beastly flourishes. While it feels deceivingly calm, there’s a strong undercurrent hinting at the horrors that lie ahead. Glitchy sounds set the scene as wailing synth risers and clattering drums evoke a sense of impending doom. A quick backspin and raw vocal samples give way to a cataclysmic clash of grinding laser-laced leads and growling bottom-end that is fueled by an undying torrent of rage. A break offers a brief but uncertain intermission from the brutish onslaught before returning to the raucous riddim sound leading to its destructive finale. Injecting a grittier industrial aesthetic into the latter half of the track serves to make “Mines Aggression” somehow even more sinister.
Dead offers insight into the creation process for the song, saying, “When making this track, the title explains the entirety of the song. I wanted the focus to be solely on the drops, and I believed that was executed with this track. I wanted them to be aggressive and hard-hitting. Something like a straight punch to the mouth. In the time of making this song, I used the emotions of anger and fused them into this track. The more and more I worked on the track, the more and more I began to fall in love with it. It’s a perfect representation of the main emotion and the build to the main focus on the song makes the connections even more lively. ‘Mines Aggression’ is a hard-hitting, heavy, naturally angry track and will be one of my most favorite pieces of work I have put together.”
Rising from the darkness, El Paso’s Dead mixes an affinity for the occult with mind-bending sound design and hard-hitting dubstep for a merciless signature sound. Dead’s previous releases include his ‘Treachery’ EP on Dark Motiv and his ‘Defiance’ EP which arrived via Goblins Lair. He was also commissioned to do an official remix for Nazaar’s massive anthem “WAR CRY.”
Dead’s new single “Mines Aggression” is available everywhere via Gud Vibrations.
