Aether Haze & Dark Wave – “Wake Up”
Aether Haze & Dark Wave – “Wake Up” – Single Review
Interesting cut coming out from the infamous Minnesota Mifits crew, this time represented by Aether Haze & Dark Wave on the new single “Wake Up.” Not a typo as far as I know…I’ll admit, I don’t really know that for a fact…I know we can all see the artwork/cover says Dead Wave…but I just work here, I just supply ya with what I have to go on…all the official labels read Dark Wave, so we’re going with that. Anyhow.
I think there’s actually quite a bit going for this cut, though I do think there are some factors that’ll work against it when it comes to the masses out there. For the audiophiles out there, you’re going to appreciate the work that DJ Minnett has put into the production & flow of this cut – cause this ain’t typical. It’ll seem that way at first…but believe me when I say, it doesn’t take long before he starts to bend space & time around you; the resulting effect on the beat & music can quite often be similar to what us old folks like me remember a cassette tape being left out in the sun sounded like when you went to play it afterwards. Feel me? The sound of “Wake Up” is straight-up warped when it comes to the music supplied from DJ Minnett…and for people like me that would pretty much leave their tapes out in the sun on purpose, obviously what’s happening on this single is going to be seriously appealing. That being said – I haven’t run into too many people that seek that kind of melted-sound style out on the regular…there’s a few of us out there – but if I’m being honest, I know that if people get right into the music of “Wake Up,” that’s where they’re going to run into the threshold for what they can handle. You know me – I’m all about artists pushing the boundaries and limitations of what we listen to with their own twists on the ideas taking something we love to that next-level creatively; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t – but pass or fail, the benefits from being willing to search proactively for that next significant breakthrough into something all-new are already significantly rewarding. I think it’s executed exceptionally well – “Wake Up” plays like a serious trip-out session; it might be an odd combination of low-tones and tempo that create this bizarre vibe, but there’s value in standing out this far apart from the rest.
Aside from winning with an insightfully innovative beat working in this collaboration’s favor – there’s another couple reasons that this track succeeds, and they’re both on the m-i-c. That’s where the magic gets sprinkled onto what would otherwise likely be all-too-crazy for most out there, bringing “Wake Up” to an accessible place for the rest of the people listening with solid hooks that combine an island-style charisma, with R&B, Club, and Hip-Hop sounds jumping in at points along the way to keep every moment entertaining. The main melodic hooks ground the track in a way that people can absorb it all – that’s key; essentially, “Wake Up” is the kind of cut that you can listen to on a surface-level and get right into the memorable hooks from the vocals that roam the bars at the forefront of this cut – or you can dive even deeper into this cut and examine the impressive effort being made here creatively. Like I said, it ain’t typical when you get right into what makes “Wake Up” work – but if you were to just pass through a room with this song playing, you might not notice it at first…it’s really not until you start to give this cut your undivided attention that it begins to make the walls, floor, and ceiling begin to move around you, bending your reality to the sound. The rap is tight from both emcees, Aether Haze & Dark Wave both give inspired performances that include strong singing and sharp rhymes along the way…throw in a couple (thousand) bird chirps & some ambient nature in this chilled-out electro-beat, and you’ve got a recipe for success apparently – who knew?
Credit to this crew for reaching for something different and coming out with something that really does ‘different’ extremely WELL. “Wake Up” is definitely a solid cut and clear evidence of a collaboration in full-effect – this single works on multiple-levels…and you’re damn near certain to enjoy’em all.
Find more music from DJ Minnett at his soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/minnet
Join the thousands of bands & artists reviewed at sleepingbagstudios by clicking here!
