If you ask most people in the EDM scene, they’ll say that dubstep is dead. And, for the most part, they’re right. The term “dubstep” has become a lot vaguer. It’s no longer easy to determine what music can be considered dubstep and what cannot because of the ridiculous amount of subgenres in electronic music. However, Getter’s latest EP “Wat the Frick,” released on Sep. 2, is one of Dubstep’s true gems.
This new release blows his previous EP “Radical Dude” out of the water, and represents everything Getter has done as an artist of the genre and provides a look into his future in music. Whereas “Radical Dude” had three good tracks out of the six released, the seven tracks on “Wat the Frick” are much more solid overall and incorporate almost every aspect of Getter’s past releases. At first, the album may appear low-quality because of strangely-titled tracks like “Cool as Frick,” “Fricken Dope” and “Sick Jetpack Bro?” But, strange track names aside, he has managed to create some very solid pieces, though the drops are a bit simpler and more subdued than his fans are accustomed to.
But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as Getter proves that the “the drop is the only part that matters” argument isn’t true in the slightest. “Fricken Dope” gives listeners an intense buildup cut up with tinny snares, deep bass and rising intensity before dropping into some classic vocal sample cutting and sequencing. In the following track “Cool as Frick” we are treated to a relentless Moombahton track that combines the staple Latin and moombah beats with trap drum breakdowns and various pitch shifts. All of these tracks are definitely solid, and even the two weakest tracks on the album, “2 High” and “Wat the Frick VIP Mix,” are more subpar than disappointing. “2 High” is an oddball track — more traditional hip-hop than electronic. The beat isn’t bad but is diminished by unnecessary grating vocals, provided by $uicideboy$.
To conclude the album, listeners get a sharp left turn with a track entitled “Something New,” similar to the chill trap song “Forget It” released on “Radical Dude.” But unlike “Forget It,” “Something New” sounds entirely different from anything Getter has ever done, which definitely fits the title of his new EP. Getter gave listeners a trip-hop track reminiscent of artists such as Bonobo and Fat Jon, while still incorporating masterful vocal cutting, snare and drum patterns and breakdowns. Coupled with almost alien synths, Getter has managed to provide listeners with an entirely different tone.
