North Texas Daily

Nicholas Friedman // Staff Writer

RAC – “Let Go (feat. Kele & MNDR)”

RAC, also known as Remix Artist Collective, is a group of electronic DJs who gained a following after releasing a collection of in-house remixes featuring songs by prominent indie artists. In the last year, RAC has transformed into a full-fledged, four-piece band led by founder Andre Anjos and the band is preparing to release its two-part original album, “Strangers,” this March. “Let Go” is the lead single and by all instances, shows the true talent of Anjos and his band mates. Channeling the skills that gave them Internet fame, RAC enlists the help of artists Kele Okereke and MNDR for entrancing vocals that lend credibility to the absolutely harmonic track. With a stunning drum track and unusual use of vocoder (the cool robotic sounding voice), RAC builds a world around its instrumentation, immersing the listener in a sound that absolutely demands time and attention.

+ Great instrumentation

+ Guest artists Kele and MNDR work wonderfully

+ World-building

–  Repetition may annoy some listeners

Rating: 4/5

Listen if you like: Zedd, St. Lucia, deadmau5

Kid Cudi – “Satellite Flight”

Kid Cudi returns with a new single after leaving the spotlight last year following his decision to drop from Kanye West’s record label. After months of speculation and hype from Scott Mescudi himself, “Satellite Flight” was released, giving fans insight into what Kid Cudi’s next album has in store. The simple fact is that the song fails to meet expectations set not only by the hype and anticipation from Cudi, but by fans. The track attempts to emulate transmissions from a space flight to create what seems like a psychedelic trip through the stars, but ends up falling flat as Cudi’s monotone voice bogs the song’s narrative down. The one thing that does hold up is the song’s production, successfully capturing the theme of helplessness. Fans will know whether or not this new sound is able to eclipse the popularity of Kid Cudi’s earlier work when the album, “Satellite Flight” releases later this month.

+ Production quality

– Doesn’t sound all that interesting

– Monotone voice bogs the track down

– Fails to meet expectations set by the artist

Rating: 2/5

Listen if you like: Mac Miller, Mr. Hudson, Lupe Fiasco

Two Door Cinema Club – “Changing of the Seasons”

After releasing two critically well-received studio albums, Irish indie rock band Two Door Cinema Club dropped an EP in late 2013 showcasing a newly found electronic sound. This was achieved with the help of 19-year old French DJ and producer, Madeon. The lead song on the EP, “Changing of the Seasons” proudly displays this new sound that is neither safe nor usual for the band, but ends up working wonderfully. Lead singer Alex Trimble’s voice bounces throughout the song, carrying the narrative of someone scorned by an ex-lover coupled with the process of moving on. Madeon’s producing credit lends a solid drum track that compliments Two Door Cinema Club’s signature progression that fans will know from “Tourist History,” the band’s first release. Hopefully this new sound will translate well toward a cohesive album as the band enters the studio for its third album in 2014.

+ Production by Madeon

+ New, successful electronic sound

+ Neither safe nor usual

–  Pop-like sound may turn off some fans

Rating 4.5/5

Listen if you like: CHVRCHES, Phoenix, Robert DeLong