Credit: VISION
Different Eyes (Billain)
Genre: Neurofunk
In short: "a facemelting 40 minute conceptual neurofunk journey"
Credit: VISION
Genre: Neurofunk
In short: "a facemelting 40 minute conceptual neurofunk journey"
Rating: 90
Cohesiveness: 80
Track quality: 81
Tags:
Beginner-friendly? ah hell nah
With a penchant for longer, drawn-out tracks, Billain pieces together a 40-minute EP packed to the brim with powerful neurofunk and masterful cinematics.
The good: I mean, for starters, this thing is 40 minutes long. That could either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the EP, but for "Different Eyes", I'd say it's wholly a positive, because the way in which Billain draws out these drum n bass tunes is fantastic. With the opener and closer opting for a more atmospheric approach while the heavy drum n bass midsection aims for intensity and grittiness, everything in this EP is appropriately engaging and powerful all the while — and placing the phenomenal sound and bass design on top is arguably the final push to make this EP a generational one in the world of neurofunk.
The bad: Perhaps some of the tracks can feel a little too long, which, in turn, takes away from their replayability. I don't feel like there's much wrong with this EP as a holistic project though — maybe that I wished it leaned into the atmospheres a little more even in the heavy tracks, but it's still undeniably well written as it is.
| Name | Comments | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| It's First Dream | Magnificent ambient intro track, long and progressive and surprisingly engaging with its notable bass and synthwork | Atmospheric |
| Baka | Insane halftime tune with distorted sound design and a prominent stabby lead that dominates the track | Heavy |
| Kinetic | French-house-esque lead sound that quickly gets replaced by some ripping basslines in the neuro drops | Intense |
| Uncanny Valley | A much more minimal tune, love the sense of progression this one has and the grim, deathly quality that comes with it | Dark |
| F4K Y00 | Hits heavy, hits hard, has a lot of energy and just keeps on driving and driving that bassline through | Intense |
| Void Me | A more progressive cut as compared to the previous ones that relied on drops, with a strong beat and notable motifs | Standout |
| Different Eyes | This is 8 minutes long but it's an absolute journey in of itself, the sound design holds up throughout all its different movements | Standout |