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CD REVIEW: Babylon Music by Electric E
RJ Frometa 3 days ago CD Reviews Leave a comment
Based out of Seattle, Washington, Electric E isn’t just a talented EDM singer/songwriter and musician. He’s a published author with four poetry and prose to his credit, but music is where he’s made his biggest impact so far. Electric E is someone able to apply himself to multiple instruments with equal aplomb, but stakes everything on his singing voice. It’s a safe bet. Even a single listen to his eleven song releases Babylon Music and 3 Sides to Every Story reveal him to be a more than capable singer whose voice can inhabit any sonic environment with equal parts conviction and musicality. His influences span a wide gamut and, despite the EDM inclinations of his music, you can hear them manifest in his voice. Babylon Music and 3 Sides to Every Story are two of the more interesting releases to land in some time and Electric E’s potential seems boundless.
Babylon Music begins with its title song. Electric E is far from a strict electronica songwriter and musician; he supercharges his songwriting with a variety of textures. Even a cursory listen to his work reveals a broad range of influences. The percussion pushing this song towards its inevitable conclusion gives it much of its energy and its interplay with the track’s bass playing gives it an intense rhythmic base. “Next Big Thing” ranks among the most forceful tracks on this release. Electric E unleashes a full-throated vocal that brings its lyrics to life. It shows off the strong rock streak running through his musical pedigree and sounds quite convincing.
“How Do You Think I Feel?” has another memorable Electric E vocal. He doesn’t have a traditionally pleasing singing voice, but it has enough dramatic strength and lungpower to benefit his material. This track boasts, arguably, the album’s strongest chorus and its near hypnotic repetition are difficult to shake. The album’s penultimate cut “The Rearrangement (Switch It Up Pt. 2) – Interplanetary Bliss” runs over six minutes in length and captures Electric E’s talent for writing instrumentals in full flight. The track switches tempos and textures often, but his writing handles the transitions with an adroit hand.
3 Sides to Every Story opens with an instrumental. “Nitroglycerin Kamikaze” is one of the album’s best recordings and one of the better instrumentalists you are likely to hear from any artist in the last decade. Another powerful instrumental cut on the release is “Hidden Meanings” – the sheer variety behind it all is staggering. Despite the abundant shifts in feel and pacing, the track holds together from beginning to end.
“3 Sides to Every Story” doesn’t undergo the same amount of transformations, but its obvious Electric E has a restless muse. Listeners are fortunate he is willing to follow her wherever she goes. This is a straight electronic number with a restrained line of attack for the most part, but he makes the most of the composition’s peaks when they come. “Bring Yourself to Life” is another fine instrumental performance, electronic in nature, and achieves a near ethereal sound despite the presence of synthesizers and other similar instruments. Both albums sparkle with unique imagination that makes Electric E stand out as one of the more individual performers working today.
by Jordan Raab
Skope Entertainment Inc
Diverse Music Media For The Digital Age
Electric E – Babylon Music and beyond
by Skope • June 20, 2020
The first track on Electric E’s eleven-song collection Babylon Music, the title song, opens with a duet between the percussion and bass. The electronic instrumentation drops in soon after the song begins. It reaches a level of tastefulness we do not normally associate with EDM artists. His object here isn’t to overwhelm listeners – he’s intent on practicing solid songcraft and weaving measured atmospherics rather than fashioning a wall of sound. The production unfortunately obscures Electric E’s vocal and discerning the lyrics may take a couple of hearings. It bears noting this is a conscious decision, not the result of shoddy production.
The second track “From Panic to Chaos” is solidly within the EDM tradition, but even here Electric E mixes things up for listeners. The brisk sweep of the electronic music in the first half gives way to a hard-edged funk style in the song’s final lap. The jaw-dropping rhythm section playing will win over countless converts. “Drifting into the Darkness” full-on embraces EDM without hesitation. He does pepper the arrangement with intermittent washes of distorted guitar that spike the track with additional flavor,“How Do You Think I Feel?” will be the album’s best track for many and with good reason. It isn’t EDM but, instead, highly stylized art pop with a traditional structure and words that skirt the border between song lyrics and performed poetry. The insistent nature of the song’s refrain sticks with you long after the song ends.
Electric E’s other album from 2019 3 Sides to Every Story includes eleven songs as well. The instrumental “Nitroglycerine Kamikaze” starts the release off on an inspired note. It is a moody composition mixing his EDM and rock influences in satisfying ways. He adds aural effects to the guitar playing at various points during the track but often chooses to go with a straightforward sound certain to capture the listener’s attention. The recurring Morse code pulse incorporated into the song might have come off pretentious if Electric E made more of it, but he fortunately only utilizes that gimmick a little rather than from beginning to end.
As boisterous as the percussion is in the opener, “Mindblowing” has percussion every bit as effective if not as assertive. This low key EDM instrumental simmers throughout the bulk of the cut until near the end when Electric E figuratively grabs listeners by the throat. The title song “3 Sides to Every Story” features Electric E’s vocals and, like “Babylon Music”, he opts to hide his voice in the mix. You can’t enjoy the lyrics without making a concerted effort to flesh them out of the mix. It is difficult to say whether he chooses this route for dramatic effect or if it reflects a lack of confidence in his voice. If it is the latter, it is unwarranted insecurity.
This is potent stuff. Both albums sparkle with idiosyncratic creativity you don’t often hear from modern performers, young or old. The hard work he put into making these songs what they are is obvious. Electric E’s Babylon Music and 3 Sides to Every Story deserve consideration as some of the best modern music available today regardless of genre.
Bruno LaFontaine
NeuFutur Magazine -- Travel, Craft Beer, Fitness, and Parenting
Electric E – Babylon Music
Posted on: June 19, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie -- Comments:
Few songwriters today can claim to be as eclectic as Seattle’s Electric E. A former resident of New York City, there’s no doubt the songs on Babylon Music and 3 Sides to Every Story have a distinctly urban flavor, but Electric E never confines himself to electronic music alone. Babylon Music is more varied overall than 3 Sides to Every Story – this is clear from the first song. The title track recalls Tom Waits in some ways and pairs light keyboards with a quasi-shuffle percussion pattern and what sounds like an upright bass. It’s a shame Electric E chooses to underplay the vocal within the mix as later songs illustrate he has a real talent with words.
“Next Big Thing” packs a muscular wallop. Electric E writes with cutting intelligence that never spares his target and his vocal strongarms the words thanks to the dramatic edge he brings to the performance. “Drifting into the Unknown” is one of the better instrumentals included on Babylon Music and testifies to his talent for conjuring powerful atmospherics with electronic instruments. It is, furthermore, to his credit that these instrumental tracks hang together so well you never take any particular notice that there aren’t any vocals.
“How Do You Think I Feel” is one of the more traditional tracks included on either album. Electric E sounds comfortable in this musical environment and the vocal phrasing during the verses builds to a memorable chorus. Atmospherics are key for the song “Middle East” as well, but they are toned down and married to a greater whole. The vocal complements the arrangement and vice versa. The musical keys to the track, however, are the brief bursts of bass laced throughout the cut.
3 Sides to Every Story will knock you out of your seat from the first. Sporting possibly the best melody found on either album, “Nitroglycerin Kamikaze” is as fine of an electronically powered instrumental you will ever hear. It’s an excellent way to kick this album off. The elegant piano playing running throughout “Hidden Meanings” and syncs up well with the electronic music without ever competing for space in the mix. The melodic strengths of the song may not be as vast as we hear with the opener but are still quite potent.
The electronic instruments once again drown out the vocals during the album’s title track. It’s a song with a few different faces but maintains an internal consistency that keeps it from veering off course. “Bring Yourself to Life” is one of the better instrumentals included on either album and its introspective, pensive mood distinguishes it from many of the other instrumentals. Electric E’s capacity for surprising listeners’ makes it even more impactful.
The organ heard on the track “Sunday Groovin’” is a perfect example of that capacity. It mixes surprisingly well with the array of synthesizers and other electronic instruments layered throughout the track. Taken apart or together, these two albums represent some of the most creative modern songwriting in an electronic vein, but Electric E is so much more.
-Kim Muncie
“Electric E” brings the mojo! (CELEBRITY ZONES - Celebrity Gossip and Entertainment News)
June 19, 2020 by Levi Colston
Electric E’s music captivated me from the first. Having never heard this artist before, it was invigorating to recognize on the first listen that Electric E is working in a different area than many of his contemporaries and peers. There are clear influences in his music, you hear it on both Babylon Music and 3 Sides to Every Story, but Electric E stamps songs such as the title track on Babylon Music with an indelible identity separating it from the pack. The bass and percussion are the heart of this tune but Electric E mixes a little added flavor into the performance with a sprinkling of keyboards.
The live drums on “From Panic to Chaos” is one of its strongest attributes. A simmering spirit fuels this instrumental and Electric E skillfully builds tension during the track. I enjoyed “Next Big Thing” because of its unabashed attitude. The boisterous physicality of the performance will win over many listeners. It will be many listeners’ first opportunity to hear his lyrical talents in full effect. Electric E, a published author with four books of poetry and prose to his credit, never disappoints.
“Switch It Up” is another example of his enormous talent for composing electronic instrumentals. There’s a basketful of changes built into this cut but they lock together without fail and the overall whole is one of the best tracks of its type on either release. The in your face quality of the vocals for “Copycat Culture” might rub some listeners the wrong way, but I enjoyed the track. I only fault it for needless double-tracking; the declarative tone of his vocal would be more than enough to carry the day.
The Seattle based songwriter and musician scores again with the album 3 Sides to Every Story. Few artists of any genre can hope to launch an album with a song the quality of “Nitroglycerin Kamikaze” and to have it be instrumental is even more impressive. The strongest element of this song is, without question, its melody and I found myself listening to this song a few times before delving deeper into the release.
“All that Glitters (Just Might Be Gold)” is never an exhausting listening experience. Coupling the single repeated lyric with its intense musical arrangement, however, gives it a near claustrophobic feeling. The title song is an artful and controlled explosion of musical creativity that transforms itself throughout the track without ever losing its way. “Bring Yourself to Life” is one of the best instrumentals on either album thanks to its patient development and the suggestive qualities of its composition. It does sound like a paean of sorts to rebirth and will be inspiring to many.
Powerhouse drumming and endlessly inventive piano are the highlights of the first half of the album’s finale. The improbably titled “Birdman Whiplash” is a song of two parts meshing together without a hiccup and the electronic dominant second half of the song demonstrates the same restless imagination albeit with a different sound. These are albums capable of opening the minds of those who normally turn away music with heavy electronic influences and make a good case for Electric E being one of the most compelling indie musical performers writing and recording today.
https://indiepulsemusic.com/
-Levi Colston
“Electric E” releases new Music
Posted on June 19, 2020 by mindymccall (WWW.INDIEPULSEMUSIC.COM)
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Electric E – Babylon Music
Electric E’s music and songwriting will hit you as quite unlike anyone else recording today. There are clear frames of reference you can call upon when hearing his work, but his synthesis of multiple genres on a single album challenges the idea that he’s just one thing – he contains multitudes. There’s a strong electronic influence pervading over the songs on both Babylon Music and 3 Sides to Every Story, but there’s rock influences, funk, ambient touches, and other sounds exerting a hold over his musical imagination. The Seattle based performer has likewise published four books of poetry and prose, so it is clear there is a thoughtful consciousness powering these releases. It makes them a must-hear for anyone interested in modern music.
“Babylon Music” opens the album of the same name and, for those new to Electric E’s music, I can scarcely conceive of a better introduction to what he does. The lyrical content is lost, to a certain extent, thanks to where he positions his voice in the mix, but it’s nonetheless a compelling way to begin the album. The sharp vocal phrasing on the song “How Do You Think I Feel” complements the predominantly electronic instrumentation and it rates as one of the best tracks on either album. The vocals underline the overall quality of Electric E’s lyric and I believe it has a dramatic impact.
There’s a lot to recommend the track “Copycat Culture”. It’s another song dominated by electronic music but doesn’t follow one direction and its shifts seem natural rather than forced. Electric E generates a tremendous amount of energy with this performance. The only quibble I have is how the vocals are mixed – they are too upfront and obscure the music. “Lady Dawn” is one of the more interesting tracks, a real sleeper, thanks to its quasi-soul/funk vibe and Electric E responds with a top-notch vocal. The finale “On a Shady Tree” has a five-star lyric and vocal to match. It ends Babylon Music on a reflective and muted note.
“Nitroglycerin Kamikaze” begins 3 Sides to Every Story in a breathtaking fashion for me. The melody is what sticks with you more than anything else. There is an ominous undercurrent
underlying it and the percussion is in near-constant motion from the start. Electronically driven instrumentals such as “Lateral Latitudes” are common on both albums and have an orchestrated quality that might elude listeners if they aren’t paying attention. It’s impressive how he weaves several threads into a coherent whole without ever losing his way.
Another instrumental, “Waves of the Futuristic”, is a layered and dense electronic composition with a variety of components seamlessly interlocking with each other. The electronic sound, much more prevalent on this album than Babylon Music, continues with the instrumental cut “Absolute Dreamshiftin’” and the omnipresent energy surrounding this track makes it one
of the more successful songs of its type included on 3 Sides to Every Story.
The last song, “Birdman Whiplash”, has two distinct halves. And the inclusion of piano in the track’s first part spins it in a much different way than Electric E’s typical material. The cumulative creative punch of these two albums marks Electric E as a musical artist of note who will only continue improving with each new release.
Mindy McCall