I've got to be honest and say that I know very little about TheFatRat, other than that he crafted one of my favourite remixes of 2013 with his take on Atlas Genius' If So. I'll be following a lot more closely from now on though, as the LA producer has returned from a brief absence with his latest creation, Unity.
It's an absolutely superb track, drawing influences from so many different genres, and in the process becoming something wonderfully unique. To find out more, read below.
Unity retains aspects of what I loved so much about that particular remix. The chord progressions are fantastically interesting, and the short synth stabs for each one are simply delightful - sometimes less really is more.
However, before we even get to that, I can't go any further without mentioning the intro. A brief section of drums leads into an entirely unexpected 8-bit section. A lot of artists often decide to just slap a few 8-bit synths onto their productions and call it a day, and the results can be incredibly underwhelming. But this, this is 8-bit done properly. It feels authentic, but also modern, and it seamlessly leads into the main body of the track, where the retro feel is retained, but treated with modern production values.
The melody is bordering on being maddeningly catchy - I'll be singing the main hook for the next hour at least. It is repeated quite a lot throughout the track, but it's such a great melody line that odds are, you just won't care. And anyway, it's treated very differently on numerous occasions anyway, which stops it from ever becoming boring.
Unity is not quite perfect, however. I felt that, particularly near the beginning, the track might actually benefit from some vocals. There are some sampled vocals in the middle of the track, but these are from the track's best asset (I could be wrong, but it also sounds like they're a little glitchy with some audio artefacts, which is a shame).
But in the context of the whole track, those are very minor complaints - especially as it will cost you nothing at all. In Unity, TheFatRat has managed to craft a track that is the perfect blend of the past and the future, and you owe it to yourself to hear it. I can only apologise if you walk around singing it for several hours afterwards.
The Octopus' Rating: 7.5/8
Release Details:
Name: Unity
Artist: TheFatRat
Label: N/A
Release Date: 26 September [OUT NOW]
Purchase: Free Download
Writer, musician, and all-round top guy. I set up Excited Octopus. Currently, I'm on a one man team. It gets lonely sometimes. But I don't mind, because I love you all.
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