RIOT release debut album 'Dogma Resistance' on Monstercat + Exclusive Track Breakdown – EDM All Day

Monstercat veterans RIOT have finally released their most expansive project to the date, the story-based, sonic journey known as “Dogma Resistance.”

The ten-track studio album is accompanied by a visual comic that brings to life the story of protagonist Raymond Colt and his descendants in a story that fuses the past with the future, spanning from 1936 to 2045. Each of the album’s ten tracks are meant to represent a different piece of the science fiction plot line, kicking things off with the adventuruous assault of “Jungle Fury” and the drum & bass mayhem of “Disorder.” The duo explore a myriad of sound and inspiration on the album, incorporating Eastern mysticism on “Desert to Desert” with unrelenting bass on the climactic “Overkill.” The sheer scope of the sound and the story is an achievement in itself, and the duo have been tirelessly crafting this world for over a year and a half. We sat down with the duo to talk about the genesis of the concept and a track-by-track breakdown of each track on the LP.

“‘Dogma Resistance’ is an album we have been working on for well over a year and a half now. The production from start to finish was one of the toughest challenges as producers that we have faced. Creating a seamless storyline in electronic music can sometimes be tough, we wanted to give the fans something more, something they would want to listen from start to finish on repeat over and over again.”

Overture 1990

“We had this introduction to our album planned out for over a year and a half now but was one of those pieces we always came back to finalize again and again until we felt it’s completely done. It’s the intro to the storyline of Dogma Resistance and just like any fine intro to a book you really want to hook the reader/listener’s into what is coming up next. Combining the experience of our knowledge with cinematic melody and orchestra we were able to craft something we feel set the tone for the rest of the album.“

Jungle Fury

“Pretty special and unique piece for us and will always have a place in our hearts. Jungle Fury is a mixture of heavy leaning pop chords mixed with our kind of dubstep and a pay trance drop at the end. We wanted to show our fans that pop progression, psy  trance and dubstep could all live in a track respectively while combining to make this piece of music.”

Disorder (Rebirth)

“Disorder was our very first original on Monstercat and will always be known as such. We always knew that one day we’ll get back to it for a 2.0 version and this album was the perfect opportunity. Disorder (Rebirth) is a non stop rage track from start to finish meant to be aggressive 24/7. It is the beginning of the Machine’s rise back to power, who the machine is or what it represents is completely up to you the listener.”

Blackwater

“Where do we start with this one? I mean, we are in love with story lines and video games that have great story lines and this was really created with the game Red Dead Redemption in mind. We wanted to bring to life a western themed original that slapped from start to finish but also kept in line with the story line we had created with a touch of multiple musical spectrums that live in harmony all together.”

Desert To Desert

“I mean who doesn’t like to be serenaded with an angelic voice right? We wanted to carry over the heaviness of Blackwater into the lightheartedness and start of Aiwa. We think Desert To Desert allows for the listeners ears to get adjusted and remember that there is beauty even in dark places.”

Aiwa

“This track was unbelievably fun to make for us. The vocals at the beginning of the track are Tom’s vocals along with our roommate Eliran and we probably did about 30 takes to get it right and just had such a great time working on this track from start to finish. We are Israeli born and raised and we really wanted to connect where we are from (middle east) and the much love brostep/dubstep that is popular in the States.“

The Mob

“We made ‘The Mob’ when we were in this dark place and having writers block in the studio. We needed a way to release frustrations and there is no way better to do that then creating a track that just is gritti and grimey from start to finish. This to us represents the tough tenacity and resilience of people which in turn helps conquer the darkness or in this case the Machine.”

Last Stand

“We connected the gritty anger that ‘The Mob’ brings by drowning out the bass with more melodic cinematic progression that shows you from darkness spawns light and happiness and hope!“

Overkill

“One of our fans most loved tracks. It is one of those tracks that people will always recognize us for. it’s also one of the tracks that took us forever to compose (over a year). On a deeper level it is the final chapter of the resistance against the machine. The final battle between mankind and those fighting for justice and those who don’t. Who wins? Well that is for you to decide.”

Take That

“A joyous celebration of victory. We wanted to create a funky pop driven track that is very left field for us. The kind of sound tracks you hear at the end of a Marvel or DC movie when they’re rolling the credits. We love producing music and not genre’s and this was one we absolutely had a blast making. It was a challenge for sure, but in the end we felt there was no way better to end the album.“