There's two things that really stand out to me in electronic music, they often go hand-in-hand, but when done right can turn a track into other-worldly good. First is simply good songwriting - just because electronic music is computer based and easier to make definitely does NOT diminish the raw skills it takes to construct the music. Think about how often we have seen really great guitar or piano covers of dance music hits (listen to both of Above and Beyond's Acoustic LP's if you really need an example). Second and what I'm going to focus on in this post is sound design. Sound design is the launchpad for electronic success. Some producers like Amon Tobin, CloZee, Bonobo and recently Tennyson immediately come to mind for outstanding sound design. Well pack Dutch duo Droeloe in with that group as expertly shown in their newest exposé "Wake the Warrior." An impressive amount of skill has gone in to the construction of this single with fantastic use of reverb, guitar, percussion and a droning bass sound that's sending chills down my spine. The haunting lead melody intertwines with night sound effects resulting in a soundtrack that could easily be inserted into Netflix's "Stranger Things." If you have a good set of headphones please use them to listen to this one so that you can really appreciate what the guys have done. "Wake the Warrior" is a perfect example where both songwriting and sound design have come together for raw electronic bliss. I encourage you to stream on Spotify here, and you can nab this as a free download here.
