Kill Kill Kill--the latest EP from Los Angeles DJ/producer Jake Stanczak, known by his stage name Kill The Noise--is an electro-dubstep sonic explosion. The EP consists of beautifully produced tracks that blur the lines of distinction between sub-genres of electronic dance music (EDM). The latest addition to the up-and-coming OWSLA record label founded by dubstep music sensation Skrillex and is home to other heavyweights of the genre such as Porter Robinson, KOAN Sound, and the legendary Skream. Kill Kill Kill not only holds up well against the music of its veteran label-mates but could very well change the game altogether in Stanczak’s favor.
Kill The Noise has already carved quite a niche for himself in the EDM scene (and that is putting it lightly), having performed in nightclubs all across the globe and at sold-out festivals including Electric Daisy Carnival, HARD, and Audiotistic. In 2009, he supported the one and only Tiesto during his Kaleidscope World Tour. Despite his seemingly endless touring and constant stream of production, whether its original music, remixes, or collaborations with other artists , Kill Kill Kill is Stanczak’s statement that he is in it for the long run and is not going anywhere but to the top.
The EP opens with a dark, otherworldly synth introduction, possessing a vintage ‘70s sound, slightly gaudy but exciting nonetheless. One can almost imagine the haze of machine-generated fog fill the dance floor as the DJ makes his way to the stage. Stanczak made a bold decision in naming the song after himself and as the claps, stomps, and chants of “Kill the noise! Kill the noise!” get louder and louder, eventually overtaking the music, it becomes clear who it is that the crowds are there to see. The chanting was a brilliant move on his part, because not only does it encourage audience participation, it also requires that any other DJ using this song in their set-lists give credit where credit is due. After nearly 3 minutes of build-up, the track kicks into gear with an intense, grinding bass synth and a heavy dubstep beat that is punctuated by a Speak & Spell repeating the word “kill.” The song ends with a return to the synths and chanting from the intro, then in comes a soft electric piano melody playing out as the track fades.
The next song, “Deal With It,” samples a viral YouTube video a la Skrillex, though the clip itself is not as prominent or memorable as the “Oh my God!” from “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.” It starts off with a pumping electro-house dance beat and an in-your-face Supersaw bass-synth but later makes brief switches back and forth between the four-on-the-floor pulse and a filthy dubstep rhythm. The outstanding “vowel” bass line of the dubstep groove, “Real Life,” sounds like a Transformer freestyle rapping in its native Cybertronian language. Club banger “She Likes To Party” is a complete sensory takeover with its erratic, stuttering synthesizers and pounding kick drum. It is hard to distinguish whether the sampled female voice is saying “Let’s go” or “Disco” but in any case, one would find it hard to not want to jump up and dance to this song.
Common sounds associated with telephones such as dial and busy tones, the classic ring, and modem chatter, serve as the foundation for “Talk To Me,” which features a demonic vocoder clip on the other end of the line, creepy enough to give listeners goosebumps. The song later takes the crowd over the edge with an insane drum & bass beat, a dense sub-bass growl, and crisp, biting percussion hits. “Dying” is the last original track--a melodic, more “poppy” dubstep tune featuring actual vocals provided by Emily Hudson. Although the lyrical content is not particularly uplifting or the most profound, the song as a whole is an elaborate, theatrical production with its orchestral synth melodies and bigger-than-life sound.
Yes, the last four tracks of the EP may be remixes, but that does not make it okay for listeners to skip over them. These remixes, performed by some of the biggest names in EDM today, are so different from their original versions and easily prove they are anything but filler tracks. Dillon Francis’ take on “Kill The Noise” utilizes epic chiptune synth arpeggios and a funky beat that listeners cannot help but bob their heads to it. The Brown & Gammon remix of “Dying” continues with the video game sound samples and features high-pitched, rapidly oscillating leads, a buzzing overdriven bass, and a dub-reggae strut. Alvin Risk also puts his own spin on “Kill The Noise,” reworking it into a more anthemic, floor-filler house tune. He also spices up the track with a layer of Latin percussion. The final remix is by KOAN Sound, whose rendition of “Deal With It” is much slower than the original but still just as heavy with its driving bass and glitchy beat.
Stanczak is currently on tour and will continue to pack clubs and stadiums with crowd-pumping, genre-crossing music.
Track List
1. Kill The Noise (Part 1)
2. Deal With It
3. Real Life
4. She Likes To Party
5. Talk To Me
6. Dying (feat. Ultraviolet Sound & Emily Hudson)
7. Kill The Noise (Dillon Francis Remix)
8. Dying (Brown & Gammon Remix)
9. Kill The Noise (Alvin Risk Remix)
10. Deal With It (KOAN Sound Remix)
