When one thinks about the number 13, several things come to mind. For centuries, it has carried a mysterious air, eliciting a sense of foreboding. Superstitiously, it has become synonymous with bad luck, eliciting mental images of black cats, witches, and tip-toeing through Fridays. In ancient Sumeria, 12 was found to be the “perfect” number, with 13 seemingly becoming an outcast. In ancient Norse mythology, Loki was the 13th guest at a dinner party in Valhalla, and would eventually be the reason chaos and evil were introduced to the world. In Christianity, Judas was the 13th guest to the last supper, ultimately betraying Jesus. The common theme here is; once 13 is introduced to the mold, things are about to be shaken up.
Curating more than his music, 13 is a personality. Living in anonymity, he lets his product speak for itself. Since his debut single in 2017, ‘Eradicate,’ 13 has garnered major attention from numerous headliners across the industry, most notably Bassnectar and Rezz. Sharing very similar sounds, 13 and Rezz are kindred spirits, having come together twice already with their releases ‘Drugs’ and ‘The Crazy Ones,’ which was featured on Rezz’s Certain Kinds of Magic. Fans of dark, crunchy, eerie bass music will feel right at home with his sound.
13’s newest EP, New World Order is a sonic embodiment of everything that he stands for. After listening to the work in its entirety, it’s easy to see that 13 has honed his analogue-focused sound, presenting a work that feels exceedingly individualistic and full of character. Prevalent in these songs are little elements that add stylistic accents, allowing to please both the person half-listening with the music in the background, and those fully immersing themselves into this audible experience. It’s easy to hear just how much time and effort when into crafting this work.
The first track on the EP is ‘Uppercut,’ a track that should be familiar to anyone that has seen Rezz in recent months. Featuring an ominous lead with ear-pleasing vocal cuts, this could be the hype song for charging into battle with an army of the dead. The first stop stays true to its name, with a gritty, punchy bass-line that can be best described as an energetic eeriness. The later drop is much more bouncy, but still retains that tight sexiness. This song will have dance floors gyrating for a long time to come.
Next, ‘Lost Voices’ features an intro that sounds like a roller coaster ticking up the tracks, fitting as it quickly accelerates into a nasty, trappy banger. The synths prevalent create a very spooky atmosphere, harnessing a sense of urgency that builds up emotion as it does the beat.
Last comes ‘Rude Boy’, a great way to end the album due to it being the least aggressive of the songs on the EP. It still carries his distinctive sound, but with slightly less intensity. Since ‘Rude Boy’ is much less in-your-face, it’s easier to get lost in.
13 continues his name’s legacy by indeed shaking things up. Quickly becoming one of the major players in the realms of midtempo, who knows where he could end up in the coming years. For now, Old World Order is another success in a steadily growing list of accolades. The future for 13 is very bright, or should I say dark and mysterious?
