If the scarcity that surrounds the world of NFTs is not congenial to you, then I advise you never to enter the realm of wave and vaporwave cassettes. That is a true rumble, a fight to the death to grab one of the few copies that are put on sale. It’s a serious business, so much so that, even though it’s been three and a half years, it still burns me that I haven’t managed to grab a cassette of Five Suns’ Crystalline EP before they ran out. It’s not the same thing, but the honor of being able to premiere his new opus soothes a little this still-fresh wound.
After a 2020 where he slipped under my radar, the Dutch producer is back in excellent shape with a stellar 6-track EP on vibe.digital. Even if it’s actually the second tune by the order chosen by Five Suns himself, I really love to start to listen to this composition by its title track: ‘Helios’. The pilot’s voice signaling a mission into space that opens the tune is simply perfect to start this peregrination into the artist’s creative dimension. It builds the right expectations and gives the right solemnity to what follows. Now, If you are here reading FUXWITHIT’s pages, I presume that you like bass music. If you like bass music I also assume that nothing makes you happier than suddenly stumble across a bass able to make your eardrums vibrate with joy. If these guesses are right, don’t read any further until you’ve listened to the first minute of ‘Helios’.
Done? So, is it or isn’t it one of the deepest and biggest basses you’ve ever heard? At my first listen I was shocked, amazed, entranced. I couldn’t believe my ears. It’s like being able to physically feel the darkness, the void. I know it makes no sense scientifically talking but fuck it, that’s what art is for, to further our human limits! Five Suns doesn’t stop at this first epiphany and leads us far beyond, orchestrating together dubstep elements with pulsing, swirling synths typical of wave. The storytelling is impeccable as there are no abrupt changes of direction or elements that clash. All the various segments of ‘Helios’ are joined in a sinuous way and flow flawlessly into each other with exquisite elegance.
This perfect and changeable balance between different influences is a recurring component of his style that can be found in all six tracks of the EP. ‘Talkbox’ (my second favorite track of the composition) merges screeching synths with gamelike sounds creating an imaginary world. ‘Shoumyou’ is another solemn piece that summons a ghost-like atmosphere but it’s interjected by dotting keys that change the pace. ‘Radiant Divergence,’ produced in collaboration with w/out, builds up the tempo and accentuates Five Suns’ fondness for incorporating novel patterns and sound styles into the wave genre.
Stream the full Helios EP on your favorite streaming platform and buy it on vibe.digital’s Bandcamp here.
