Have you ever ventured into the woods on an eerie night, with a mixture of fantastical excitement and adventurous fear? We haven’t either, but we found something close while listening to Shortcvke’s new EP, Shadow of the Wisp. Released April 30th on Bass n Babes Records, this project is deep, dark, and bound for greatness.
The Bass is in the Shadows
This EP starts off with a major hitter, “Sunken Glades.” This track smacks you in the face with its first drop, like you’re getting wacked by the arm of a tree on your first step into the forest, becoming blissfully concussed. The fuzzy bass swirls around your head, and the simple, clean drumbeat hits in your chest and throbs in your head like your pulse would in this situation. The second drop comes in with a slightly subtler attack, but is no less strong or disorienting as you make your way back up to your feat, this time starting a much more dangerous journey. But you’re up for the challenge.
Track 2 is the previously released single “Kuro,” calling close to home deep dubstep roots. The wobbling bass notes of the first drop play around some background melodies that could be the voices of our hallucination fairies. There are even some vocal samples that could be the elves mocking us as we make our way through their shadowy realm. Like the first track, and mirroring the arrangement of many of Shortcvke’s works, the heaviness lets up for a couple bars to let us catch our breath before the second drop annihilates us with more dirty, incredulous low-frequency sound design.
Rounding out the project is “Inkwater Marsh,” another haunted tune that takes us by the hand to track us through the swampy part of the forest. This time, she comes in with slightly higher frequencies and ethereal atmospheres. The haunting vocal samples are feminine this time, making us believe the hallucination fairies are the ones we need to look out for this time. Or are they trying to guide us? Invite us to a rave in their hollowed-out tree dwelling? Where are we? What’s happening?!
Sound Design Sidequests
Shadow of the Wisp showcases impressive sound design and production skills by Shortcvke, a Boston native based currently in San Diego. She took inspiration from the video game Ori and the Blind Forest, thus this project became a mad descent through a fading forest where light weakens and shadow takes hold. Underlying each part of this EP are themes of connection to nature and deep exploration.
This latest release shows that Bass n Babes Records has shown no signs of slowing their roll. With previous single drops this year of Lex Looper’s “Who are You?” and “Magic” by Baby Kush, it’s clear BnB is making their femme mark on the bass scene deep and dark in the best way. Be sure to catch all three of these legends at Bass n Babes’ takeover at The Untz Festival this month!
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