It is called 'Frozen' and it is by a Dutch producer called Phacts. He's based in Utrecht, Netherlands and also goes by the name of Asterisms, under which he creates "ambient, future garage". Phacts, in comparison, is a whole other kettle of fish. It's bassy, in-your-face, and most likely intended for dancing to - indeed he calls it his "bass/dancefloor alias", which it basically is. In 'Frozen', however, a number of styles go together in making this a genuine iceberg of classic and future noises that go towards creating a big, mean atmosphere.
Beginning with a strange, unplaceable few samples, of singing and a dusty piano playing, something that makes you anticipate some boom bap hip hop beats, it quickly winds into what he himself has tagged as a juke sound, akin to house with a more ghetto, aggressive sound. Attitudinal vocal samples loop over syncopated kicks, head-nodding claps, and hi-hats with fluctuating tempo. Every now and again, a full-throttle jungle beat teleports in from nowhere, providing a flawless switch of styles that is anything but jarring: sudden and smooth.
Futuristic soft synth wibbles and wails throughout, caressing and cushioning your ears and allowing the beat and samples to deliver harsh, rough-edged sounds instead. The fusion of hip hop style sampling, danceable bass and beats with ornamentation in the form of jungle interludes is something that gives the song a fidgety, schizophrenic feel, but this also means that it's bustling with energy and as such it's an exciting tune. Looking forward to hearing more from this man who has, incidentally, already performed alongside some pretty cool names already, including atmospheric Shigeto, Only Real and Cashmere Cat (to name a few), at the Valkhoff Festival in the Netherlands this summer.
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