When we think of SoundCloud stars, one of the first that comes to mind is Dallas native Grant Nelson, or as we all know him by, Medasin. Bursting onto the scene with massive remixes of Flume’s ‘Smoke & Retribution’ and Martin Garrix’s ‘Scared To Be Lonely,’ we’ve come to idolize his eclectic production style that seems to ride waves between genres and never disappoints. Fast forward to 2020 and we’ve seen the young prodigy become so much more than a SoundCloud golden boy, releasing his debut album Irene at only twenty years of age, along with a few official remixes for the likes of Portugal. The Man, and Local Natives. The Medasin project seems to always be evolving and it’s truly a pleasure to see someone who can put the blindfold on, ignore all fads and trends, and truly let the spirit of music guide his work. These wonderful traits are put on full display with Medasin’s second album RIPPLS, so sit back, put some nice headphones on, and let us guide you through this journey.
Starting our journey off, we have ‘Launch Console,’ a soulful intro filled with beautiful ambient synths that become more chaotic as time passes, truly giving one the sensation of being in a spacecraft during startup. Moving on we have ‘Friends,’ a masterful wavy ballad with the melody being played by a spacey legato synth, joined by a team of fresh percussion elements. ‘Endless Endeavor’ follows, a track that is carried by beautiful piano scales and a funky baseline that would even get James Brown moving.
The energy is turned up a notch with ‘Go Crazy,’ a collaboration with LA Hip-Hop artist Duckwrth. This track puts Medasin’s unparalleled drums on display, with percussion elements that seem just the right amount of hectic, and Duckwrth’s immaculate flow and cadence. Next up, we have ‘Beta Testing’, a track that truly showcases the musicality of Medasin, with extremely complex melodies and chords that seem straight out of a jazz production.
Collaborating with Naomi Wild on ‘Everytime,’ the intro is void of all drums and instead leans on Naomi’s voice and Medasin’s keys to drive the melody. By the time we reach the drop, we’re salivating, and rightfully so as we’re thrown into a section filled with punchy drums and a wavy melody. After a quick ‘Intermish’ filled with jazzy melodies and funky basslines, we’re thrown into ‘Ruminating’. At it’s core it is a psychedelic beat, carried by a beautiful spacey melody combined with thick underlying subs which pulsate low in the mix, giving this track texture that is unparalleled with anything out today.
We get a little break from the complex nature of the last track, with ‘Get By’ with Cautious Clay, featuring a light and soulful beat combined with Cautious’s pleasing tone. Medasin proceeds to give us ’Sumn Lite,’ which seems to be part Neo-funk and jazz, with melodies straight out of a video game and vocal samples that masterfully counter the main baseline. Moving on through our journey, we come across ’Retrospect’ with Jean Carter, a track with an uplifting beat sure to get you moving and the vocals of Jean Carter which seem to provide the perfect energy to this track.
Next up, the young prodigy takes a wack at the four-on-the-floor structure with ‘Melody X,’ a song filled with syncopated baselines and spirited melodies. As we near the end of our journey, we’re met with ‘Did Enough’, an emotional ballad with R&B Artist Khai, who rides the wave of Medasin’s keys perfectly with meaningful bars. Just as we took off, we must land. ‘Landing’ is the perfect end to our Journey, as all of the sounds we’ve heard throughout our journey come together to create a perfect soundscape that serves as the epilogue.
We’ve been referring to this album as a “journey” throughout this piece, and that’s exactly the word to describe this masterpiece. In an age where attention spans for music fans continue to shrink due to the vast amount of music that comes out every day, it’s so refreshing to see a project that is truly meant to be listened to from front to back. So grab a pair of headphones, close your eyes, and let the energy from RIPPLS sweep you away into the unknown. Stream the whole thing down below.
