Noah B - Night's Edge

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  • Like dubstep in its later days, trap has become a springboard for ideas. There's a glut of artists reengineering it, splicing trap's genes in with grime, Jersey club and other dance music styles. Plastician's Terrorhythm label is one of the many sources for this ongoing movement. Its releases are all over the map, sure, but there's a common hip-hop influence and a penchant for bright, shiny textures. The latest signing to Terrorhythm, New York's Noah B, exemplifies both tendencies, building stark hip-hop beats out of chrome and neon. Noah B's songs are mostly melody. His notes trill methodically, like he's plugging pins into a Lite Brite, and each one glows brilliantly. His approach is minimalist, usually just a few synth lines and a drum kit, but the tracks on Night's Edge don't lack drama. "Contact" glides between halftime hip-hop and straight-up house on a warm, welcoming bassline, while "All 4 The Love" starts out sounding like Araabmuzik and ends up scooting along into Jersey club on a drum break. There are plenty of impressive moments on Night's Edge, and plenty of clichés. The gunshot samples on "All 4 The Love" are trite, while "Azure" starts out beautifully before pivoting into by-the-numbers trap. The latter's thundering basslines sound out of place next to more considered compositions. Only "Contact" and its melancholy trance synths, which he sits on a light and steady beat, sound unique to Noah B. When your music is this barebones, you have to make every sound count, and Night's Edge doesn't always get it right. But when it does, the results are otherworldly, showing that trap can also be light and ethereal.
  • Tracklist
      01. Azure 02. Contact 03. XXXX 04. All 4 The Love
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