Credit: Teminite Music
Raise The Black Flag
[By: Teminite]
Genre: Brostep
Rating: 80
Cohesiveness: 78
Track quality: 80
Beginner-friendly? most probably not
Written 2023/12/26
Teminite dives headfirst into a pirate themeing. And who doesn't like pirates? Nobody, that's who.
I suppose a better question would be: who doesn't like Teminite? And again, the answer is probably the same. So when I say that his fourth studio album Raise The Black Flag is his best, that is no small praise. Truthfully, though, that praise is well-earned. A beloved producer in dubstep - and not just dubstep; if you've ever played popular rhythm games like Beat Saber or Geometry Dash, the electronic alias of Sam Norris might just be a familiar name to you - Teminite's one of the strongest players in the game. That, subsequently, gives Raise The Black Flag a tracklist of some of the nastiest brostep there is, along with some of the cleanest bass music there is. Expectations were high, and Teminite delivers.
What makes Raise The Black Flag so special, though, is its creativity, as it sees Teminite finally present to us his imaginative artistry in the form of... pirates. Yes, the concept is a little bit iffy, but it's a whole lotta fun. The pirate themeing lends a much-needed chaotic energy to the project, one that justifies the all-guns-blazing approach Teminite is known for, but also one that incorporates a ridiculousness to it that gives this LP a special charm to it, an charm that's creative and unabashedly goofy.
Perhaps he leaned on that goofiness a little too much, however. A lot of the themeing can feel very on-the-nose and a little bit cringe-inducing, and, whilst I do respect Teminite for his boldness on the conceptual aspects, I can't help but feel that it's a bit overdone.
Teminite is one of those artists who got me into electronic music, and I'm very happy to say that Raise The Black Flag is a fantastic project. It runs into a few problems, though - namely, the aforementioned themeing, but also that I'd have loved Teminite to go a little harder on a few more tracks - and so that puts this project as a brilliant project on paper, but not without its flaws, flaws that seem insignificant but also seem to aggregate when you look at the project in its bigger picture.
Listen on Spotify here.
Raise The Black Flag [Heavy] | (/100)
A long, pirate storytelling intro that takes up the first minute, exploiting the pirate atmosphere to its fullest. The first minute feels a little cheesy, sure, but it's followed by a strangely captivating pirate chant, before flinging itself into the deep waters of Teminite's brostep.
Ghost Ship [Intense] | (/100)
The main highlight of "Ghost Ship" is its strong, bassy lead, intimidating and powerful. That lead drives the track into flying drops and abrasive lead lines, a calculating force behind a flurry of dubstep.
Sail Away [Switchup] | (/100)
Teminite makes a deft switch to a more melodic, emotive vibe with an idyllic vocal duet and fantastical lyricism. The bass production continues, but it's mellowed out in favour of a cleaner, toned-down atmosphere that fits the vocals better.
Pirate Afterparty [Melodic] | (/100)
Vibey and melodic with some lovely synths and fantastic flow through the melody "Pirate Afterparty" swaggers through its melody, infused with clean flow and some lovely melodic synthwork. Paired with the vocal chops, it's a vibe and a half, and feels appropriate given the tracklist.
Sesh The Seven Seas [Fun] | (/100)
w/ Jonah Hitchens
Obviously the lyrics are the immediately notable element. Jonah Hitchens' distinctive accent and his ridiculously stereotypical pirate lyricism is funny in its cheesiness, with the track reinforcing the extremely on-the-nose themeing particularly in the instrumentations.
Plunder [Intense] | (/100)
"Plunder" outpaces the pirate themeing with slamming kicks and heavier sound design, with its thundering lead and artillery-esque growls. In its 5 minute runtime - one of the longest, superseded only by the later "Hell Raiders" - it briefly takes the mantle of the album and runs it straight into choppy waters.
The Deep [Switchup] | (/100)
By contrast, "The Deep" is a much more relaxed track. It's a cinematic classical interlude, comprised of prominent orchestral elements and an evocative lead to form a majestic atmosphere.
Hell Raiders [Standout] | (/100)
w/ Omar Varela
Punchy and impactful drops with strong basses and an almost haunting vibe Punchy and impactful drops front "Hell Raiders" to disguise a more looming, powerful force behind it. It pushes through occassionally in the drops - which are much more minimal and stomping than the other tracks - and permeates the emptiness that this track uses very well.
The Kraken [Heavy] | (/100)
The simple instrumental leads in the predrop are seemingly innocuous, but don't be fooled, because once "The Kraken" gets going, it drags you down with it. A jazzy riff turns into a frantic yet dramatic build, that then morphs into an absurd drop that sounds like it's fighting for its life as it's dragged underwater.
Electroctopi [Switchup] | (/100)
It's amazing how, amidst all this nasty bass music, "Electroctopi" can thrive. And thrive it does. It's brilliantly funky, with a meticulous attention to detail and a groove that never quite lets go, even amidst the pace changes and the spacey atmosphere.
Thundering Typhoons [Standout] | (/100)
Though it may not be the longest track, "Thundering Typhoons" is an epic journey of a finale track. With a grand soundscape and a generous helping of bass music, the pacing is consistent and the intense vocal takes the reins of fire into a watery sunset.
- Electroctopi (/100)
- Thundering Typhoons (/100)
- The Kraken (/100)
- Raise The Black Flag (/100)
- Ghost Ship (/100)
- Sail Away (/100)
- Pirate Afterparty (/100)
- Plunder (/100)
- The Deep (/100)
- Hell Raiders w/ Omar Varela (/100)
- Sesh The Seven Seas w/ Jonah Hitchens (/100)