Credit: High Vaultage
Vaultage 004
[By: Space Laces]
Genre: Miscellaneous bass
Rating: 90
Cohesiveness: 83
Track quality: 78
Beginner-friendly? no way in hell
Written YYYY/MM/DD
"Trailblazing" would be a mild term to describe Vaultage 004. Really, it's a whirlwind of uncompromising bass black magic, leaving a wasteland behind it.
In the wake of Skrillex's seminal F*CK YOU SKRILLEX [...] (or FUS for short) mixtape, Space Laces chose to release Vaultage 004 as a full-blown tracklist, rather than the single-track mixes of his previous Vaultage mixes. This could only have been a good idea, swathing each one-minute segment in its own individual limelight, making their collaborators and spectacular production all the more striking.
Vaultage 004 maintains the mixtape format that makes up the identity of the Vaultage series, though. It's still holistically a continuous mix, with tracks unafraid to encroach into their neighbour's space and bleed into each other. Space Laces isn't afraid to spill that blood, and as a result, Vaultage 004 has some of the meanest, most threatening track runs of any tape, with sequences of tracks stacking drops upon domineering drops to scrape at the heavens above. This record - if it can even be called a record - is undeniably cohesive, especially with the strange, grainy, science-fiction-esque vocal samples that Space Laces inserts, tying together all the powerful basswork with a constant strain of quasi-lore.
But perhaps the most striking thing about Vaultage 004 is also its least surprising - Space Laces' sheer production wizardry. Above all, no matter how layered or abrasive or dowright hellish his production is, his mixdowns are amazingly crisp.
It's all well and done talking about mixing, however, but where Vaultage 004 truly shines is not necessarily in its technical aspect, but rather in its songwriting. Surprising, I know - Space Laces has long been regarded as one of the best sound designers in the dubstep industry, and for good reason, but here his writing outpaces even his reputation. That's partly due to the record's cohesiveness, but also due to his uncanny penchant to consistently throw in the right thing at the right time. Ultimately a mixtape must maintain engagement to work in any magnitude, and Vaultage 004 has mastered that, twisting and turning and teasing you with unchartered concepts through its entire runtime. Maybe it's the moment of unyielding minimalistic filth as "SANDWORM" crushes the previously rowdy sounds of "WORM TIME" and "REVENGE"; maybe it's the one-two combo of smooth bass house rollers "KEEP IT COOL" and "TANK" after the very-much-not-smooth "INDUSTRY MEAT GRINDER"; maybe it's the slide into a bright, melodic sound for "SPELL BREAKER" and "LOOSE ENDS" late on into the thirty minutes. Maybe it's none, or all of these - truth to be told, you cannot really narrow down Vaultage 004 into a single moment. There's no dopamine rush to be had, there are few tracks that can really be called 'standouts' (though I did my best to try), and no cut can really exist without its neighbours. Vaultage 004 is a holistic product, through and through.
What's truly amazing about this record is its ability to bounce between practically any EDM genre. You've got the classic briddim and tearout Space Laces has built his career upon, mashed with meaty trap and dirty bass house. But Space Laces' mastery over all facets of EDM is clear. Psytrance chips in, moombahton pays its dues, and electro house pops in for a chat whilst progressive techno sneaks in through the backdoor. Even the glorious synthwave finale, "UNTOUCHABLE" - three times longer than all the other cuts - is new territory that Vaultage 004 confidently explores. "Trailblazing" would be a mild term, indeed.
Whilst Skrillex's FUS was - to use the cliché critics have been eating up - a "love letter to EDM", Vaultage 004 is EDM's executioner. It's a calculated apocalypse, an all-encompassing tornado, and it sacrifices nothing. It doesn't care for sounding accessible or approachable. It cares only for the thirty minute expedition it approaches so arrogantly.
Listen on Spotify here.
PROLOGUE [Structural] | (/100)
A strong intro that does everything it should do, establishing some form of lore through its grainy vocal sample, backed by a dark atmosphere. Ironically, it's longer than half the tracks on the mixtape.
FORCE MAJEURE [Heavy] | (/100)
Brash vocal sample and a stabby, merciless drop. An immense start to this mixtape, one that still ends up as one of its strongest movements even retrospectively.
REWIND [Fun] | (/100)
Amazingly clean transition into a jumpy bass house tune with plenty of modulation and an absolutely infectious groove, but it still feels destructive.
KILLDOZER [Heavy] | (/100)
Space Laces continues to demonstrate his absolute control over all facets of bass music - "KILLDOZER" is a fast-paced, meaty hybrid cut.
WORM TIME [Standout] | (/100)
w/ Eptic
"WORM TIME" is unnecessarily fun and all the groovier for it, with the ridiculous sample and the thickly laid bass house drops.
SORCERY [Switchup] | (/100)
Cinematic stylistics and a dramatic buildup make way for a piercing, shuffling drop - perhaps the high-pitched lead isn't the strongest, but interesting nevertheless.
REVENGE [Heavy] | (/100)
A stupidly smooth transition forces "REVENGE", a stabby dubstep cut, through the speaker, and it's nuts.
POWER DRIVE [Intense] | (/100)
These last three cuts honestly sound like they're three movements of the same track, with "POWER DRIVE" being the most reined in of the three.
SANDWORM [Standout] | (/100)
"SANDWORM" immediately drags you deep into its minimal, crushing bassline lair. In a mixtape of standouts, this is pure gold.
TUNNELS [Switchup] | (/100)
A dubstep mixtape wouldn't be complete without a psytrance switchup, and Space Laces delivers in full flow, with clean progression.
STAXX [Switchup] | (/100)
w/ Dillon Francis
Dillon Francis comes on with some crushing moombahton, evolving into a more enhanced groove, feeling full the whole way through.
GARFIELD [Heavy] | (/100)
w/ Getter
Same motifs as "STAXX", but this time it's Getter on the accompaniment, with a strong, juddering lead and a more traditional dubstep flow.
SHAOLIN FIST [Intense] | (/100)
The vocal sample feels very story-driven here, but Space Laces doesn't compromise on the hard-hitting production at all.
INDUSTRY MEAT GRINDER [Heavy] | (/100)
"INDUSTRY MEAT GRINDER" begins a deceivingly infectious vocal sample shadowed by a growly dubstep drop.
THE ANTHEM [Standout] | (/100)
The sample motif from the previous is continued, but "THE ANTHEM" feels like Space Laces in full flow, with that all-encompassing, crisp sustain.
KEEP IT COOL [Fun] | (/100)
This one feels very dancefloor-coded. That doesn't make it feel any less impactful though - in fact, this is perhaps the most destructive bass house track on the tape.
TANK [Standout] | (/100)
Whilst "KEEP IT COOL" may have been the most destructive bass house cut, "TANK" is super smooth and rumbling. Both are equally satisfying.
FREAK MODE [Switchup] | (/100)
I dig the idea of including a more progressive cut on this - even if the idea itself isn't as flashy, it's intentional.
ICE PICK [Heavy] | (/100)
w/ SVDDEN DEATH
Some bleed from "FREAK MODE", but it's quickly forgotten with SVDDEN DEATH's ominous, jagged riddim flow, paired with Space Laces' crisp mixing.
LOOKING GLASS [Switchup] | (/100)
The intro drives through, and Space Laces completely loses the plot with the drop, and not necessarily in a bad way. It's refreshingly experimental and feels very much like a "looking glass". Grown on me.
RAZOR SHARP [Standout] | (/100)
w/ G Jones
G Jones' digital sound design adds an aptly sharp twinge to Space Laces' flow. It's a strange way to blend the two styles, but I can't deny it works.
FIVE SIX [Fun] | (/100)
The vocal sample is very entertaining, as is the heavy-handed, pulsing production. Memorable, if nothing else.
CYBER STEP [Intense] | (/100)
This short section of the mixtape is probably its most forgettable, but "CYBER STEP" is still a nice and stabby cut.
SPELL BREAKER [Melodic] | (/100)
The sudden switch into a melodic dubstep/trap mood is unexpected, but simultaneously very tasteful. The spell is broken, indeed.
LOOSE ENDS [Melodic] | (/100)
"LOOSE ENDS" is a deceptively well produced, glassy house cut. I cannot understate how tasteful this melodic intermission is.
SIGNALS [Melodic] | (/100)
Another melodic track, and it's just as good as the previous two, with a more bassy lead and a couple of murky undertones, as if foreshadowing a grisly end to this upbeat section.
WHIP IT [Switchup] | (/100)
Instead of diving straight back into hellish dubstep, Space Laces simply just slips into a crackling techno cut.
BOMB [Intense] | (/100)
w/ Marshmello
Even Marshmello's joining the fray. "BOMB" is a much simpler trap cut with a jagged edge.
URBAN BEATS [Standout] | (/100)
w/ Chee
Just when you thought he had no tricks left up his sleeve, Space Laces teams up with Chee for the most dread-instilling cut on this record, with the minimal drop.
SOUL CRUSH [Intense] | (/100)
"SOUL CRUSH" is weirdly bumpy. It seems strange to have this track this late in the runtime, but, well, I'm not the master, I suppose.
BOUNCE LIKE THIS [Heavy] | (/100)
w/ Control Freak
This might be the most generic briddim cut on the record, which is unfortunate because it's the penultimate track. Ah well.
UNTOUCHABLE [Switchup] | (/100)
A three-minute closer for this mixtape is apt, considering it's three times longer than all the other tracks. Space Laces is adamant to show us his dominance over production though, because "UNTOUCHABLE" is a pristine synthwave roller with a neon-twinged sample and a shining soundscape.
- THE ANTHEM (/100)
- SANDWORM (/100)
- UNTOUCHABLE (/100)
- URBAN BEATS w/ Chee (/100)
- KEEP IT COOL (/100)
- TANK (/100)
- REWIND (/100)
- FORCE MAJEURE (/100)
- ICE PICK w/ SVDDEN DEATH (/100)
- WORM TIME w/ Eptic (/100)
- SHAOLIN FIST (/100)
- INDUSTRY MEAT GRINDER (/100)
- RAZOR SHARP w/ G Jones (/100)
- LOOSE ENDS (/100)
- SPELL BREAKER (/100)
- SIGNALS (/100)
- KILLDOZER (/100)
- REVENGE (/100)
- STAXX w/ Dillon Francis (/100)
- TUNNELS (/100)
- LOOKING GLASS (/100)
- WHIP IT (/100)
- GARFIELD w/ Getter (/100)
- FREAK MODE (/100)
- SORCERY (/100)
- FIVE SIX (/100)
- CYBER STEP (/100)
- POWER DRIVE (/100)
- BOMB w/ Marshmello (/100)
- SOUL CRUSH (/100)
- PROLOGUE (/100)
- BOUNCE LIKE THIS w/ Control Freak (/100)