Moombahton is the sound of the summer, and Diplo's Mad Decent label has definitely been the leader in bringing the genre to the masses. But Mad Decent isn't just about Moombahton, though artist Dillon Francis seems to be the big thing of the moment--the label has also supported plenty of other exciting names in electronic music, ranging from the dubstep of Rusko and Kito & Reija Lee to the reggae-inspired dancehall sounds of Major Lazer to the fidgety 8-bit sounds of Boy 8-Bit, not to mention the rest of the label's awe-inspiring roster. Mad Decent Comp. Volume 1, out today, is Mad Decent's first comprehensive mixtape with a tracklist ranging from old classics to new bangers, and it's definitely worth your time (and possibly even your money).
Dillon Francis - Beautician 2.0
As far as new tracks go, Diplo's "Horsey" lives up to the high standard you've come to expect from the Mad Decent (and Twitter) king. A new, old track, Dillon Francis's "Beautician 2.0", takes one of the first tracks that made him famous and gives it a more upbeat Moombahton twist. Since Beautician itself is such a well-loved song, I was skeptical of any re-edit, even one by Dillon Francis himself (if it's not broken, why fix it?), but 2.0 is pretty much just what you'd hope for. You'll recognize the Jack Beats remix of Diplo feat. Blaqstarr's "Get Off" if you've heard Jack Beats' BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, but it's been just long enough since the track was released that it's a pleasant reminder, something you might have forgotten about. Netsky's drum-and-bass remix of Rusko's "Everyday" has been around long enough that you might have overplayed it a couple months ago, but that doesn't change the fact that it's freaking awesome. The closing Major Lazer track is a tropical summer party jam with almost guiltily poppy vocals. It's not really my thing, but it's an important facet of what Mad Decent does.
Diplo - Horsey
Mad Decent has been around for a while, and I like what they do. It's nice to finally see an attempt at a compilation spanning their full history and roster, and I think this mixtape does a good job. I leave you with a bit of almost-proverbial life wisdom from Diplo: "Kava taste so bad barf but im tryin 2 communicate with this seaturtle."
Purchase: Mad Decent Volume 1 Comp.
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