This man knows no breaks, he’s unstoppable, and he simply doesn’t miss. Heimanu is on one hell of a releasing spree and I’m pretty sure this one is going to leave a mark on 2021. Even if the year would end tomorrow, nothing in the world would prevent him from getting another nomination as Best Artists at the r/trap Awards. But remember, we still have to go through Halloween, a moment of the year that was extremely favorable to Heimanu in 2020.
Following ‘Alaris’ and ‘Aeske’, here I am writing about his latest effort, a double single on NIGHTMODE titled ‘Raeen’ and ‘Die Awake’. The trio of releases Heimanu has delivered after a more intimate parenthesis of ‘Alaris’ is all focused on the core essence of his own infamous trademark sound, NuRave. The formula is clear: sweeping synths, hammering drums, breakbeat loops, ghostly melodies, frenetic arpeggiations. Both the tunes go down hard as always, providing the expected dose of epicness. Try to play this during your sets and I can already see the mayhem that would break out. Giant moshpits, people screaming and crying, t-shirts flying everywhere. The vocals on ‘Raeen’ aren’t exactly the best example in his catalog while those on ‘Die Awake’ (which I suspect are made by Heimanu himself) gives us a more interesting performance. In the first case, the voice is merely a filler that covers a marginal role. In the second track instead, its presence is more relevant as it actively helps to build the mood and set the final tone of the song.
Now, if you’re attentive and assiduous readers, you may have noticed that in this review I have not said anything new. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the formula that we find in ‘Raeen’ and ‘Die Awake’ is classic Heimanu. However, this isn’t in any way a good reason to underestimate this release. To the people who complain that Heimanu’s releases are starting to sound all the same, I’d like to answer “yes, and that’s the cool part”. Let me explain. I do think that some of his releases are very similar? Yes, without a doubt. But again, I see this as a positive thing. We’re in the presence of an artist who has a very clear vision in mind. A vision in which he believes with all of himself and which he has decided to devote himself completely to. He’s slowly exploring it, deciphering it, and giving back to us the various interpretations that come out of this personal journey. Some are exceptional, others less impressive. It’s all part of the game. Given how many artistic ideas and trends arise, grow and die in just a matter of months nowadays, I believe we should appreciate artists that decide to take the risk to “get stuck” on their own beliefs, gifting us with deeper and more elaborate experiences. They are the narrators I look for. Theirs are the stories I like to follow and the ones that get me involved in the long run. Heimanu has already proven to be versatile. We know he has the skills. So I don’t see why we should be impatient to see him rushing to a new sound. The routine pushes us to judge artists and music Friday by Friday, but it’s essential to step back and pay attention also to the context. By doing this you’re able to connect the dots, learn more about your favorite artists, understand more about their perspective and probably enjoy your favorite music even more than you are already doing.
What I suggest you do after listening to ‘Raeen’ and ‘Die Awake’ is to take the time to both watch the bigger picture of Heimanu’s journey as well as to dwell upon the little details he spent hundreds of hours working on. Stream the double release below or on your favorite platform here.
