Fenix & SM1LO
Where We Begin, the new record from a collaborating Fenix & SM1LO, wants us to re-examine what it means to be melodic in an increasingly computerized world. The melodies that the synths grind out in the fourteen variations of the title composition are completely electronic, but they boast colorful tones that are empowered by a defined equalization and the accompaniment of Llexa’s golden voice. With all of these elements, Fenix & SM1LO make it easy for even the most loyal of acoustic fans to take a closer look at EDM, which is undoubtedly becoming the most popular style of pop music in the world as the 2010s near an end.
In house remixes of “Where We Begin,” there are a lot of audiological components that have more in common with trance than they do mainstream house, and there’s one instance, the instrumental “Fenix House Dub Mix,” where the bassline is almost too druggy to manage the consistent grooves that the drums are pumping out. That doesn’t make this track any less of an expressive piece as the “Club Radio Dub Mix” or the Llexa-focused “SM1LO Remix” are, but rather shows us the side of a song that non-players typically wouldn’t be exposed to. For dancers, the club mixes are the real moneymakers in Where We Begin, but I can’t say that the rhythm in “Kali Remix” wouldn’t make for just as good a party soundtrack. Obviously it’s a matter of personal taste, but for what I look for in EDM, this entire LP is a knockout for Fenix & SM1LO.
Most of these tracks have an overstock of bass textures, but the “SM1LO Remix” and the original version of “Where We Begin” leave a little to be desired in their bottom-end. The bassline in the “SM1LO Remix” is sexually-charged, frustratingly obscured by the percussion around the 2:10 mark, and so swaggering – even in its subtly arranged state – that it makes me wonder what a straight-up Fenix & SM1LO DnB album would sound like. They’ve definitely got all of the right tools to make something effective for the contemporary audience that’s interested in material like Where We Begin, and with a slightly more progressive stylization, they could devise something that isn’t as experimental as it is revolutionary.
As a rule of thumb, I don’t usually get into hypotheticals when reviewing a record, but it’s difficult to avoid the subject in this particular instance. Fenix & SM1LO have made an LP that pushes ahead when it seems like their rivals have collectively decided that going backwards is better than experimenting with the unknowns that moving forward can bring. Where We Begin has some issues with overcomplicating a basic concept, but at the end of the day, you won’t find a more engaging group of club-worthy beats contained within one album this July. I want to hear more out of these guys, and from what I’m gathering among media circles, that appears to be the consensus among EDM fanatics right now. Time will tell for certain, but I think that this might be one of the more memorable releases that either of these artists produce.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
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Trace Whittaker
7/2019
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