Sach O speaks primary colors. He’s not fond of British spelling though.
Kromestar is a DJ’s producer. His tracks are long, evolving lockstep affairs that feel custom-made for a selector’s able hand and for a massive sound system’s rumble. Paradoxically, he’s also on his third album after 2008 dread-bass infused My Sound and 2009’s heavy-metal The Other Syde which came both pre-mixed and as a selection of individual tunes. For “Colourful Vibrations,” the producer once again switches it up but thankfully, never lets the quality falter. Perhaps predictably, Colourful Vibrations is, well…colorful. Whereas Kromestar’s music was once paranoid and twitchy, the darkness is now counterbalanced by wistful and meditative melodies that alleviate some of sonic tension and gloom dominating his earlier work. The tracks are no less heavy or dance floor friendly: every single tune contains speaker shaking bass but your tweeters will get a work out as well and the mood is better fit for a stoned afternoon in a city park than a bloodshot night in the concrete jungle. Even when things do get aggressive, there’s considerably less mid-range wobble than there used to be, a welcome nod to the tiredness of an overused production trope.
On one hand, Colourful Vibrations can be exhausting as a straight up listen: at 72 minutes and just 12 tracks, it feels more like a collection of pieces meant to be heard individually than an album proper. On the other hand, the consistently meditative mood and relentless quality control means that it’s the perfect soundtrack, not quite background music but rarely demanding full concentration. That it’s also a deadly DJ weapon for sound men in the know, is icing on the cake.
Preview:
Kromestar – Colouful Vibrations – Album Preview by Dubstep For Deep Heads
