Overflowing with energy
The Presets consists of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes, two artists who not only combine forces to create their own energetic music but individually produce the music of other artists like Alison Wonderland and DMA’s. The Australian duo has been mixing dance music together for a decade and shows no signs of slowing down. HI VIZ took awhile to piece together because the duo couldn’t cease recording their fountain of ideas; at one point they had around 50 tracks to choose from before they decided to dial it down to one album. Their goal was to present a work that flows like a cohesive DJ set, and they purposely selected the tracks that they thought would be the most fun to play live.
These tracks don’t star poetic lyrics or stunning vocals. In fact, many of them feature the same few distorted lines repeated throughout the song. The true star of the album is the music–a curated collection of oddball sounds and eclectic noises that are somehow mixed together to form a futuristic dance experience.
The album begins with “Knuckles” which presents a slurry of spacy electronic noises. The techno beat and sound persist through the song, and any traditional instruments are used sparingly. The vocals are distant and autotuned, not in a stereotypical pop singer fashion but in a way that pairs well with the electro aura of the song. “Do What You Want” immediately offers a sound that is closer to rock than the first track–a strong drum beat and electric guitar as a robotic voice repeats “do what you want.” However, the techno influence is still strong and reminiscent of ‘80s pop-rock.
“Downtown Shutdown” stands out from the bunch as it gives off a funky disco sound in the chorus as playful vocals chant “Downtown shutdown / I can feel it” as background vocal riffs and waves of electro noises fly through the background. The album closes with the seven-minute track, “Until The Dark.” The song starts with muffled robotic vocals chanting “Until the dark” to a techno tune. Parts of the track do seem to drone on for awhile, but the strong club dance beat keeps it alive.
This album was clearly meticulously produced and put together. Moyes and Hamilton managed to engineer a never-ending list of energetic sounds that are new to the electronic dance music world and organize them into a fun upbeat album. For those that are looking for music that they can burn calories dancing to, HI VIZ may be their fix.
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