Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 11Deters Beat Lab@0.

Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 11

Dexter’s Beat Laboratory is a weekly collection of songs from DA music editor and staff writer Robyn Dexter. With a taste that can only be described as eclectic — to say nothing of a name that lends itself to punnery — DA is happy to present a selection of tracks personally curated by Dexter for your listening pleasure.


Ever want to crawl inside a song and live there? That’s how I feel about The Midnight‘s latest release, “Crystalline.” This six-minute synthwave slice of heaven is flawless from every angle. From Tyler Lyle’s enchanting vocals to the dramatic drums to the soaring saxophone melodies, “Crystalline” is perhaps one of The Midnight’s best tracks to date. It’s not just a song — it’s a fine-tuned piece of art composed of the most intricate, mesmerizing details.


From a calming synthwave track, we move drastically into a headbanging collaboration from Sullivan King and Riot Ten. Featuring Sullivan King’s heavy guitar riffs and heated vocals to Riot Ten’s neck-breaking bass, these two complement each other perfectly. This isn’t the first time this duo of talented heavyhitters have teamed up. They’ve been fusing metal and dubstep together for much of 2017 on remixes like Dimitri Vegas, Martin Garrix and Like Mike‘s “Tremor” and Dada Life‘s “Kick Out The Epic Motherf**ker,” along with original mixes like “Fuck It” and this latest one, “Body Bag.”


More strings in electronic music, please! Jinco‘s latest track caught my attention immediately. He’s woven the elements of a trap song into a beautiful orchestral composition he’s named “Scherzo in E Minor.” In this genre he calls “cinematrap,” Jinco has knitted together the classical and electronic/dance music worlds flawlessly. Racing violins take center stage in this piece of work — as well they ought. They’re sorely missing from the world of electronic music, and I applaud his integration of them into this track.


Protohype calls “Made It Home” a “glimpse into [his] life.” He shows his softer side in this latest track, which features a soaring synth melody over a rapid drum & bass rhythm. Vocals from The Arcturians add to the emotion, as Protohype shows the listener how hard being on the road is for him. It’s been a few months since we’ve had new material from Protohype, and this is a welcome addition to his already stellar discography.


Remember Alex Clare‘s “Too Close”? The track was released in 2011 and skyrocketed to popularity after being used in a Microsoft commercial for Internet Explorer 9. Though it’s been years since its release, but Prismo has revived the hit track with a unique cover. Revived, honestly, is putting it mildly. Prismo has blown the original out of the water with pounding bass and anthemic synths that elevate “Too Close” to the next level.


Read More:

Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 10

Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 9

Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 8

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