Former head of all things Twonk, Sami Diament, has had arguably one of the strongest rebrands of any electronic artist in the past two years. Trading-off wonky trap stylings for psychedelic thoroughfares, he’s completely shifted his sound focus and fan base. Finding a home and abundant amounts of friendship in his new auditory ecosystem of the Wakaan label, he’s made numerous connections and substantial amounts of growth. One of those friendships came in the form of Michael Petzel, also known by his production name Shlump, regarded for his galaxy-sized extraterrestrial-esque beats. Today, these two modern-day auditory storytellers have come together for a collaborative EP release entitled Universal Wub.
Your first step on this intergalactic journey is the title track ‘Universal Wub,’ a gentle descent into the full body of this work. The vocals “unlocking the secrets of the universe” welcome you into this piece, creating a frequency-laced sense of energetic exploration. The drop gives you the sharp sensation of not floating through space, but rather gangster moon-walking. The attitude and intended aesthetic is readily palpable, with elements from both artists easily felt throughout.
Your next blast into the cosmos is ‘STARCHILD,’ a track sure to you in tune with your inner zodiac sign. Aided by silky smooth vocals from Sarah Hudson that send chills up your spine, this is a track that will surely set your atoms ablaze. The melodic segments of this track mixed with the raw bassiness of the drops gives it this light and dark effect, making the entire piece an adventure from start to finish. The melodies included within are majestic, and all the little accents are fully-fleshed out, each note having inordinate amounts of depth. This track really highlights how well these two artists’ styles jive together, LSDREAM’s melodies popping like a popcorn kettle over the top and Shlump’s patented basslines leaving you completely enraptured.
‘R.A.V.E.’ sits in the third spot on the EP, a reminder to all fans of electronic music that RAVE is actually an acronym for Radical Audio Visual Experience, with radical audio experience being a fantastic descriptor of this track alone. The build leading into the first drop emits this old school techno vibe with female robot-like vocals repeating “radical audio visual experience” before descending into a primordial ooze of low end, surely forcing all listeners caught within its frequencies to catch a one-way ticket to being fully lost in the sauce. This track is immaculately mastered, with ludicrous amounts of feeling in every second. One can easily get up and groove to this track, or simply lie back and close your eyes taking it all in.
Last on Universal Wub is a living, breathing ‘ORGANISM.’ The opening starts off like a sci-fi thriller, leaving one wondering “what in the world is about to happen to me!?”.The initial drop is so low a boxing referee would call it for going below the belt. A melody that leaves one curious comes quickly after, shifting up the vibe before fully smacking you once more with bass that is more full-bodied than the first drop, incorporating an eccentric hollow horn-like sound that is reminiscent of a tentacled monster from another dimension trumpeting an inconceivable horn. The song drifts off with horns and a light melody, the beast slain and the adventurers alive to fight another day…at least for now.
Universal Wub is a prime showcase of just how well LSDREAM and Shlump’s styles meld together, with Diament’s mind-bending melodies and mystical arrangements perfectly matching with Petzel’s all-too-familiar basslines of absolute destruction. It’s easy to see why these two formed an entire tour around this EP, as anyone that listens to this body of work can only be left to wonder what else these two madman could possibly come up with. If you want to hear these songs rinsed on a proper sound-system, definitely make the trek to the nearest tour stop for intense hi-fi satisfaction. For now, check out Universal Wub in all its glory for yourself below!
