Blasterjaxx – Phantasia
• Delicate, magical atmosphere, suddenly broken by a brutal drop
• Oldschool 2017 vibes (remember XX Files?)
• Quality release, the fourth in 2020 for the Dutch duo
Blasterjaxx are stable members of Big Room olympus, and today we analyze their newest banger, “Phantasia”, an oldschool production with a progressive fusion. After a couple of festival-oriented creations this year (“Alive”, “Party All Week” and “MTHRFCKR”), well received by fans, we can confirm that the duo is in good shape. Last Friday night their label Maxximize released the fourth chapter… “Phantasia” was played for the first time at Koningsdag 2020 on livestream when Thom, on behalf of the duo, celebrated the world premiere. A couple of weeks later, the full version was played on Hardwell On Air.
2016, 2017 vibes are present to this Big Room production, a clear nostalgic take towards one of the golden periods of the genre. We can clearly recognize Blasterjaxx’s signature touch on break and drop parts.
We are introduced by a sort of “ancient flute” to the journey in Phantasia, followed by a female vocal. Suddenly, a deeper and energetic kick announces the massive drop. Personally, I had some nostalgic memories of “XX Files” (2017), but I wasn’t particularly impressed… That initial sequence was aggressive, yet somehow less energetic than the following one: I didn’t click with the melody.
Next, the second break came with a heavy piano riff, announcing that something bigger was incoming… The orchestral segment was lovely, maybe a bit too brief for my tastes. The destructive nature of that second, final drop definitely changed my experience: the delicate magical world of “Phantasia” has been broken. Somehow, I’m really impressed by this creative choice!
Concluding, “Phantasia” shows a nice personality while following the genre’s usual rules, and I’m positively impressed by Blasterjaxx’s balanced approach. That’s a good release, capable to build a mystic atmosphere; my only struggle was with the drop’s melody.
