Indie Music Album Reviews

Demented sound mafia - slowing down the motion

3/18/2014

Demented Sound Mafia

Slowing Down The Motion
self-released; 2014

4.1 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

Slowly Down the Motion is a concept album that is influenced by the extreme sector of the sports world. The collective of music producers that make up Demented Sound Mafia is driven by the adventures of surfing, snowboarding, extreme climbing and anything else with an “ex” prefix. In particular, these musicians are intrigued by slow-motion cinematography. After watching hours upon hours of extreme sports films, Slowly Down the Motion was conceived.

The first song has an interesting vocal sample that repeats, “this is how I feel,” that is then partnered with a contrasting “banging” electronic synth that emulates a crude electric drum, as well as a laser light sound that periodically beams in the background. This song is epic to say the least and I can see bass-junkies and hard-core rockers really getting down to this song together. It is reminiscent of artists like Pretty Lights, STS9, Big Gigantic and can even compete with contemporary dubstep. Yet this song has a personality all its own that carries the song’s consciousness to a higher level.

The following track titled “Lost in Angola” has a beginning that produces a state of cognitive dissonance; the high-strung electronic tapping beat is meshed with a slow, ethereal-like wavy foreground. Yet, cohesion is achieved and overall vibe is upbeat while inducing a meditative effect.

Listening to Slowly Down the Motion is truly entertaining. It’s obvious why Demented Sound Mafia tracks are chosen for Hollywood films; they’re just bursting at the seams with an adventure that is waiting for you to dive in and experience. Their goal of creating music for slow-motion sports films has really come to life. The songs all embody extreme and epic vibes, yet create an environment of patience and serenity. Sound quality is impeccable and this album can be played over and over again and each time, a different realm of extreme adventures is created.