Maddix – Technology
• Captivating hybrid of genres
• True to his classic sound
• Slightly monotonous
Upon hearing that Maddix was changing his style, I can’t say I wasn’t discontented. Having been a huge fan of his aggressively driven Big Room hallmark for years now, it was hard for me to imagine ever being blown away by a release from him, ever again. That notion was further fueled by my immeasurable disappointment with his preceding work “Ecstasy”. Fortunately, it was not long before I was proven dead wrong.
“Technology” caught me off guard, largely in part because of the intense blend of styles overstepping their boundaries to create one of the most innovative sounds I’ve ever heard. The masterfully woven fabric of different genres, ranging from house, acid trance and hybrid trap, draws the listener in and leaves them desiring more. It’s widespread sound design warrants the statement ”this is different. I’ve never heard music like this before”.
The drop is the clear highlight of this track. As the break ascends toward the climactic segment, it collects an ample amount of tension and suspense. It opens up several measures before seemingly commencing in mid-air above the drop. After a few seconds of tense release, the instrumental lands hard, blindsiding the listener with a strong and intense beat. The deep, filthy kick sculpts an absolutely massive bassline, complete with an irresistible sway. Listeners will find it all but impossible to play it back without at least bobbing their head at times. On top of this lies a deeper, squelching acid bass shot with plenty dosage of spacial reverb, followed by a mesmerizing and almost haunting metallic hybrid trap style of lead. It creates a powerful, resonating atmosphere that captivates the audience.
Now, as with every creation ever, “Technology” does have its shortcomings.
The most glaring one being it’s monotony. The drop leads and vocal sample see a few to no variations throughout. The vox snippet in particular does damage to the listener’s attention span, as it slowly grows more and more tiresome. There is no variation in the riff used in the mentioned section, which can also digress most listeners. However, in this instance, one should understand that this is an exploratory phase for Maddix, as he delves further in the new territory and continues to evolve his experimentation.
It’s clear that in changing of his soundset, Maddix has not sacrificed his potential to become a viable heavyweight in the EDM world. “Technology” is a clear indicator that Maddix has the ability to be consistent yet unpredictable. He has provided us with the reassurance that the power in tracks like “Invictus”, “Bang” and “Soldier” will still be present afterwards, although it may be manifested in different ways. Regardless of the few potholes it hits, “Technology” leaves me undoubtedly curious and hopeful of Maddix’s future.
