Analyzing KAAZE’s “Last Call”: Did the BLK RSE side take over?
Analyzing KAAZE’s “Last Call”: Did the BLK RSE side take over?
74%Overall Score
• Massive drop sequence à la BLK RSE
• Something’s missing in the central breakdown
• Kudos to the desire to innovate the sound
It’s been a year since my last encounter with KAAZE and his power-packed Progressive gem of “Paradise“; here we are, with the darker facade to the Swedish moniker— one can hazard a guess that his tech-heavy alias ‘BLK RSE’ has taken a dominant role in his style, as it happened with other aliases in Revealed Recordings. I am not that ecstatic about this transition— being a big fan of his Progressive House— but if the results are interesting, it could be worth a listen.
That’s why I binge-listened to “Mick“: KAAZE’s latest album (including several VIP remixes as BLK RSE offering festival vibes), and I am rather satisfied by the innovative endeavor. It’s a blend of Techno and Progressive, with a minimalist and introspective attitude. Far from the highs of the past, frankly speaking; a new path such as this always takes time to flourish.
Today, “Last Call” is my center of attention, as the newest KAAZE release comes with two peculiar elements: it’s listed as Techno and released by Aoki’s label Dim Mak. Not the first time this occurred (we reviewed “Whole Again“) but a sign that things are changing.
In reality, “Last Call” is a merging of BLK RSE’s Future Rave sound with some Techno influences in the lead, resulting in an aggressive festival banger with a clear KAAZE imprint. Solid drop, bouncy basslines, and a ruthless melody— a joy for my ears!
While the first drop thrilled me, the melody kept playing and playing for the majority of the time, becoming rather one-dimensional in the outcome. Where are the vibrant KAAZE buildups? This is an adrenaline rush from the beginning to the end, although it leaves the impression that some room for a slower breakdown could have been made.
“Last Call” is recommendable for its drop, and for it has the desire to push forward without losing roots shown by KAAZE. But something’s missing in it centrally, which has to be kept in mind.
