Barely Alive – Killer Robots

83%%Overall Score

• Obliterating my ears (in a good way)
• Retro-futuristic melody
• Glitchy drop, funny ear-blasters included

It’s officially summer for a while now, however I didn’t yet manage to find any tune to fit for the season, especially as festivals are marking a return. In my long effortless search for a while, I finally stumbled upon a goliath of a Dubstep banger from Barely Alive. Yeah, those guys with a cassette on their head. Published on Disciple, the imprint focused their attention on its Round Table (a sub-label of theirs, focused on underground names) and the main-label, which adopted a “quality over quantity” motif in the recent months (let’s consider that they have a limited but amazing roster).

The title for today’s track hasn’t been chosen on a whim: “Killer Robots” is a retro-futuristic wobble-laden production with glitching elements and powerful low-end, that literally, is an ear r*pe. Before giving it a listen, perhaps reduce the volume on your device by a few notches, as the drop lashes with aggressive stances.

With a duration lasting of 240 seconds, a typical length that has become standard nowadays, Barely Alive crafted a spectacular 80s synthwave with TV ads from the time used as vocals, hovering over a common theme: Killing Robots (guess Terminator’s popular presence could have a hand in this). Despite the vocal chop feels contrasting to the experience, it adds a modernistic feel that helps in its potential usage for upcoming festivals and other performances.

A glitched melody reigns in the drop, one that could induce ear-fatigue, and whether it is received amusingly or annoyingly remains subjective to the listeners. Also, the duo uses its typical distorted notes here, a formula that gets renewed with a retro touch in this case.

The American producers kept no stones unturned to honor the era they represent (in a way, everything referring to the 80s comes off as either synthwave or retrowave these days, becoming a cliché of sorts) with a dynamic hook, brutal bassline and an amiable homage nonetheless. Must listen for the bass-heads, even if it doesn’t go as hard and vigorous, but it totally worth to press play on.