Listening to a compilation album is a lot like opening up a deck of baseball cards. Or buying a collection of NFTs. Because you never know what you’re going to get.
But depending on how well you know the label or entity releasing the collection, you may have an indication as to what you might find. This is exactly why we were so excited to check out the latest compilation album from VEIL’s record label, Street Ritual.
The 10-piece VA album, HORIZONS, is perfectly arranged and each track was selected by VEIL herself with not a single one missing the mark.
Described as a music label “dedicated to the heavy and seditious sounds emanating from the realms of dubstep, halftime, drum and bass, leftfield, and kinetic psychedelia,” Street Ritual is a collective that has tapped into a wealth of incredible music with all intentions of sharing it with the world.
Although every song on HORIZONS was expertly crafted, these are a few of our favorite.
5AM – “Proximal”
Just a week after releasing “10K Gems,” an eclectic mix of IDs and beautifully composed tracks, we find 5AM on Veil’s list of favorites with his single “Proximal.” The song is trademark 5AM with an array of diverse sounds neatly stitched on top of one another by the hands of a perfectionist. A tribal-like flute weaves its way in and out of a pulsating bass line that creates a swamp-like environment that envelops the listener as the song progresses. Look for “Proximal” to be the first of a series of releases from 5AM in 2022.
Duffrey – “Flitz”
Next up is Duffrey who cranks up the BPM for a song littered with drum and bass vibes and glitchy rhythm structures. It’s difficult to identify “Flitz” as being just a DNB song as it changes shape several times throughout its course, but listeners may be able to identify where Duffrey is drawing influences from after a few listens. One way or another, “Flitz” is something you play on repeat and pray to get a taste of during a Duffrey set.
XotiX – “Burn It Up”
At the halfway point of the album, we are met with XotiX and his track “Burn It Up.” If you were looking for some crunchy bass, you’ve found it, because the track is brimming with a heavyweight sound that demands attention. The song is pleasantly jarring, the kind of bassline you can see distorting and vibrating your rearview mirrors that makes you want to sit and smile instead of turning it down (drive safe everyone).
Thought Process – “Bounce”
One of the last tracks on the album is also one of the best. On “Bounce,” Thought Process delivers a piece that progresses and builds like a forest fire, slowly encapsulating you in some high-degree heat. Each measure keeps you wanting more as Thought Process guides you through 200 seconds of epic flavor and “bouncy” textures.
There wasn’t one song on the HORIZONS album that we didn’t enjoy with each of them fitting in perfectly alongside one another. Given the display of production prowess that the album is decorated with, there is no telling what all these artists, Street Ritual, and VEIL herself will bring to the table next.