V.I.V.E.K - Eyes Down

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  • It's rare for a new producer making classicist dubstep to get noticed these days (beyond the usual diehards), but Deep Medi Musik discovery V.I.V.E.K has been finding himself at the centre of a lot of attention. The unimaginatively-titled Eyes Down is Vivek Sharda's fourth release for the label, and it sees him progressing slowly but surely. A track like "Big Bang" does absolutely nothing new, really—crashing drums, carefully surging LFO, supposedly ominous speech snippets and creepy dulcet chords—but it does it well enough, emphasizing subtlety over obnoxious volume. "Sirens" loads up the groove with slurred tribal percussion, a suitable addition to the dive-bombing alarmist synths and dubwise horns, while "Spread Love" is Sharda's take on garage-esque swing, weighed down with the heavy-hearted moodiness and dulled evening vibes of the rest of his work. It's the EP's title track that's the real winner; like "Big Bang" it's not exactly new territory, but it's so perfectly executed that the context feels irrelevant. Smoothing halfstep lurch into lush and gentle brushstrokes, it ambles along beautifully with careful minor chord piano stabs and hushed diva gasps. Your typical "eyes down" track, it justifies the EP's generic title because it manages to reach a new ceiling for a sound that often allows for lazy functionalism. As he lines up more and more releases, it's becoming clear that Sharda's talent lies in the little touches he adds to conventional dubstep, the lush synths he sneaks into his tracks and the majestic, almost sensual way his drums hit.
  • Tracklist
      A The Big Bang B Spread Love C Sirens D Eyes Down
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