HALF BLOOD (Skybreak)

When an artist switches up their style, the reception is much like that of reacting to a particularly controversial comedy show — some people cheer, some people jeer, some people stop listening altogether. Not "HALF BLOOD". This is an album that silences the mob.

Perhaps this project, as a natural continuation of Skybreak's colourful style, was inevitable. You may know him from his previous works, works of colour bass imbued with adventurous fantasy and a bright, vivid, polychromatic take on the American-driven 2010s phenomenon of brostep. So colour bass is already some kind of callback — and Skybreak's a massive player in the colour bass game — then what's stopping him from looking back about 10 years further, and overseas, to England? The home of bass music, the birthing grounds for UK garage and the waves of electronic revolution that followed. "HALF BLOOD" is hardly a switchup in style, but a parting of bushes to reveal a path that lands you in the past. And, indeed, for much of this project, Skybreak finds himself exploring the past. Deep gritty basslines; frantic garage beats; a couple of fantastic grime performances from Subten and Purple Velvet Curtains; and a penchant for dirty sampling — even through the lonesome train line motifs that really tie this album together alongside the clean transitions between tracks, "HALF BLOOD" borrows something from the spirit of the UK underground. But this is not an album that's stuck in the past, no, "HALF BLOOD" is every bit as forward-thinking as it needs to be. Skybreak dons the glasses of the future as he observes a past London, allowing molten fragments of his colour bass escapades to seep through the greyscale and illuminate the dingy alleyways of his UK-influenced production, much like flourescent lighting that zips by in a blur through the train window. In fact, the whole train aesthetic Skybreak pushes is on point, too. Styled to be reminiscient of the solitude of the last night train home, "HALF BLOOD" maintains a certain reserved quality to it even amidst the rumbling basslines and brash sampling, and, split into two sections — a 'Blue Line' and a 'Red Line' — the progression this project exhibits is undoubtedly impressive. Kicking off with a couple of colour-laden rollers that slowly begin to incorporate more traditional garage influences, Skybreak brings on the voice of NYC's subway herself for the immersive interlude halfway through to signal the change from 'Blue Line' to 'Red Line' service, and at this point, the grimy UK basslines are more than noticeable. The garage is increased, the grit is increased, and yet the album begins to ground to a standstill as the listener approaches home, finishing with a couple of chiller, more melodic tracks that round off nicely what was an incredible leveraging of progression, paired with the strange double identity — the "HALF BLOOD".

I'll admit, the cover art (and a lot of the branding) does feel a little edgy, but when it comes to the actual music, Skybreak is one of the most talented producers in the game right now, and it really shows through in "HALF BLOOD". Even when switching up his style, this project brings forth some of the cleanest, most well-thought-out production, alongside some of the most innovative ideas to grace the dubstep scene in a while. Whether he continues with this style or reverts to his previous renowned colour bass one, this album has only reinforced my trust in Skybreak as a genuine, quality producer, and this will surely be one of the strongest albums of the year.