[REVIEW] Lunatic & Miss Hysteria- Double Bind EP

LABEL: Bassmachine Records
CATALOG #: BASS013
PURCHASE: http://www.hardtunes.com/albums/lunatic-and-miss-hysteria-double-bind/987/


This is actually a surprisingly good release for me. I've never really payed much attention to Lunatic and/or Miss Hysteria but I just may start after this release.

WORST POSSIBLE MISERY FOR EVERYONE

I like this track because its dark but not in the miserable, violent, oppressive kind of way. Ethereal is the best way to describe it. The sound design is creative and the atmosphere is lush. It has that emotional Trancey feel to it but just enough Hardcore flavor to keep me interested and wanting to stomp around. I don't think I would drop this track at a party but I would definitely have it on repeat for a cold, dark night with headphones.

DOUBLE BIND

Although Lil' Jon samples are a little tired at this point, I love the energy in this track. There's no long breakdown, no melody, and barely a synth to add atmosphere. The track has a Neophyte feel to it - fast, angry, and energetic with a no bullshit attitude. A solid track made for a classic hardcore romp around the dancefloor.

CODEX

The concept for this track is great but I think what really hurts it is the weak snare and the breakdowns. You can see what Miss Hysteria's vision was but it wasn't executed well enough. Lots of producers are attempting the crossbreed route but few have perfected it. It's great that this style is spreading but the production value is very hard to nail - the snare drums being the biggest hurdle. Aside from the breakdowns, this track suffers from a "well, what now?" episode towards the end - it just keeps going and its evident that Miss Hysteria ran out of ideas on how to finish the track. Codex is a good effort and I think that with a little more work Miss Hysteria could make much better crossbreed tunes. It's either that or she should stick with the normal Hardcore sound.