Visage is the French word for face, with visages being its plural form. Following Visages over the last couple of years has shown that this is the perfect name for the quartet. Multifaceted productions run through the veins of the French artists, with each new single, remix or project showcasing a new skill under the broad umbrella of bass music. Whether it’s a deep dubstep cut laced with grime-leaning vocals, or a soothing liquid drum and bass groove, Visages consistently create crisp and catchy tunes.
Last year, I had the extreme pleasure of catching a Visages live set, where they played grimy deep dubstep cuts (think ‘Hardware’ and their ‘Greengate Adhesive’ remix) for the first half before closing the second half of their set with their usual luscious drum and bass sound. It’s uncommon to find artists who can execute on such different styles at such a high level, yet Visages have shown that their productions know no barriers. Staying true to the essence of their live sets, Visages have recently released the Dol Guldur EP via Alix Perez’s 1985.
The four-track journey through bass music begins with the project’s title track, as the quartet conjure a sinister soundscape before unleashing a meticulous display of Toulousian drum and bass that embodies their sound and pushes it further. ‘Evidently’ follows, with Visages tapping Snowy for an absolutely filthy combination of grungy bass and snappy vocals. The swagger and flow in this second track is among the dirtiest we’ve heard this year, with Visages letting Snowy shine above an earth-rattling beat before taking over the show in the latter half. Switching tempos in ‘Panacea,’ Visages hone in further on their signature with a smooth liquid cut that will have you floating among the clouds with its groovy melody and hypnotizing riffs. For the final track, Visages team up with Monty and Killa P in ‘The Most’ as the producers return to the grimy dungeons of 140 BPM bass to once again demonstrate just how dominant they are with this genre. I still think a Visages and Monty supergroup called Montages would take over North America, but I digress.
The Dol Guldur EP is Visages at their best. Don’t miss it below.
