Although post-rock suggests something guitar-driven and perhaps on the heavier side of the musical spectrum, it is a vague and broad enough description to allow room for plenty of “non-rock-derived” forms to creep in. And if there has always been more than a hint of something trace-infused and dance-like running through the music that Center Mass Universe makes, it is on Rogue Star that they really come to prominence.
The song builds on bubbling clubland beats and strange electronic washes and, unlike most dance music, owes little to what has gone before, historically speaking. None of the recycled ’80s grooves, the cliched nineties Iberian euphoria, nor the lazily sampled beats of modern urban music. This is perhaps the sound of the digital dance beat reaching a new musical zenith.
And so, as the song goes, a flurry of cool beats and ever-evolving musical tensions blossom, a new and futuristic sound for a new generation of club-goers. But if this were merely dance music, the song would stay in this groove ad infinitum. Instead, guitar riffs gradually subsume proceedings, tsunami beats take over, cavernous and cool, and the whole thing detours down more experimental and alternative rock highways.
But as you enter this later stage of the song, the astute blends of music are remarkable. Even as the musical temperature rises, the intensity builds, and the guitar becomes the dominant force, the dance groove that has taken us this far is still an integral part of the show. Grunt and groove moving as one.
This may be what rock music has been waiting for. We have had dance-metal and various misguided attempts at boogie-some beats blended with bombast and bravado before, but you couldn’t ever really take it seriously. Here, though, the music retains its authenticity even as it offers you the chance to throw some shapes and hit the dance floor. It is music that is both accessible and intricate, music that makes you move, makes you feel and also makes you think.
When was the last time a song could make you do all of that?
More information at – https://centermassuniverse.com/home
Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/artist/1eLW5YCVTC1dO6FldG4Qxi?si=5lI4w39sSOC3YUdpLHfXgg
Center Mass Universe release their debut album on 17th September 2023
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[…] post-rock sounds and intricate technical playing with explosive metal urges. But, as songs such as Rogue Star proved, even within that broad musical landscape, there are still plenty of new inspirations and […]
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