Truth – War Of The Minds EP
When it comes to timeless ingenuity, savage sound design, infectious bass weight and overall musical staying power within the sound system culture, New Zealand’s Tristan Roake and Andre Fernandez, a.k.a. Truth, have things down to a near impeccable science. Since first commencing their rise to dubstep fame almost a decade ago alongside some of the global dubstep scene’s most prominent innovators, Truth have managed to maintain their rightfully impenetrable position as exemplary forefathers of the underground sound. One of the most crucial components lending to the duo’s musical longevity and monumental sonic presence is their unprecedented ability to tap into a seemingly infinite range of feelings, atmospheres and influences, from minimal, deep and sensual to creeping, jarring and ruthless, whilst still remaining undoubtedly fresh and unwaveringly “Truth.” With the aid of their undeniably unique, sophisticated and ever-evolving dark sound, the pioneering duo has managed to perfect and preserve a distinctly contagious and poignantly deep style that never ceases to dull in significance and only improves with age.
After erupting onto the dubstep scene back in 2007 with an impressive first release on Deep Medi, Truth returns once again to the world-renowned dubstep label for their latest release, a monstrous four-track EP entitled War Of The Minds. War Of The Minds as a singular body of work stands as a truly fruitful and cohesive collection that strikes a novel balance between minimal and heavy dubstep, as it retains the meditative flow of a deep release whilst still managing to incorporate vibrant punches of Truth’s fierce, signature sound engineering throughout. The key characteristic lending to the irrefutable power and overall success of the release can be found within its highly thoughtful and sophisticated percussion work, ingenious and masterful sound design and subtle, yet striking variations and switch-ups enclosed within each track.
Truth’s War Of The Minds begins with “Jade Helm,” an exercise in restraint and thoughtful simplicity that boasts a steady mix of expeditious percussive work, daunting basslines and deep, sonic snarls that teases listeners with a small glimmer of the impending dubstep mastery waiting to be unleashed. The release reveals itself further through the foreboding, primal sounding drum patterns of “The Sound Killah.” The track’s heavy, drum-laden introduction gradually morphs into the song’s pulsating bassline, which then continues to seamlessly contort into a rolling, head bobbing journey through heavy, spacious kicks as the vocal work, accompanied by a sustained, wicked revving sound, expertly melts, blurs and weaves itself throughout the track. Through its abrasive, grisly growls and quintessential Truth Sounds, War Of The Minds‘ “Wish Us” offers listeners an ominous and forceful display of the supreme might of Truth’s globally distinguished, bass driven style, making for a brutal behemoth that serves as a statement making climax to the entire release. The EP culminates with its title track, “War Of The Minds,” that utilizes Werd2Jah’s exotic, bassy voice to further lend to the dark, primitive vibe of the release. A drawn-out, creeping, violin-esque sound sets the stage for the track’s dynamic percussion, which acts as a sturdy, yet colorful foundation for the vocals and plethora of wild sounds that constitute the EP’s thunderous final body of work.
With its four emotionally hefty, subwoofer rupturing tracks, Truth’s War Of The Minds EP is poised to rattle ear drums, rouse dance floors and incite bass thirsty souls around the globe. This release serves as the latest proof that the New Zealand dubstep duo is triumphantly leading the underground pack with their musical prowess and abundant discography overflowing with exceptional, genre-defining sonic architectural works.