What if we told you that having back Electro House, Techno, and Trance is a thing actualizing itself as we speak? We have TikTok to thank for. The social media behemoth prompted Gen Z into meeting and liking these genres we thought lost with the 2000s. One of these leading Electro producers is Antone from El Paso, Texas. The composer’s latest EP, V2.0 boasts a one-man wonder team. Antonio Lerma was the mind, the do-er, and the promoter of the complex yet commercially appealing project. V2.0 reflects the current day variant of Electro music granting the audience a sonic ride of a superior tri-layered variety.
1. Fire for Desire
“All I wanted was to make you mine,” sounds off the implacable voice with a tint of menace in its delivery. As the filtered vocal continues on loop, Antone’s signature bass-synth dashes on the lower frequency while the high-pitched electro-synth sprinkles the instrumental counterbalancing the rest of the ensemble. The incredibly fast-paced 140 BPM tempo is concomitantly a novelty and an ode to the 2000s when Trance and Electro music reigned high. If you’re a millennial, think of Darude’s Sandstorm which is mightily close to Fire for Desire at 136 BPM. If you’re Gen Z, well… just listen and learn 😀
The hype goes on and the two contrasting synths lead the way until 01:16 when we notice a transition, something that earned Antone a reputation for artfully creating clusters of various melodic motifs within the same track. Fun fact? This starts to feel very up-to-date with the likes of TikTok around where DJs and artists mesh a whole lot of records in less than 30 seconds. If Antone’s jungle-like arrangement sounded abstract a year ago, now it seems like some hidden gem about to go viral on social media.
Around 2 minutes in, the song lets the higher frequencies take over and drops the bass line. By 2:44 we’re hearing actual rhymes and lyrics. This is possibly the most vocal we’ve ever heard Antone be. “This is the fire for desire” sounds distortedly the muffled scream. The outro of the song induces the promise of an electrifying follow-up. Let’s see if the producer meets the audience’s expectations!
2. Starz
Yes, he did. Yes, the producer came in even stronger on the second track than the first. The confident, loud, grand thump accompanied by an electric bee-like synth conveys an elevated vibe of the party getting hotter and louder. Most interesting how Antone relied mainly on emphasizing the middle frequencies and the lower ones, possibly keeping the high ones silent for now to build the hype in anticipation for the real X factor of Starz.
Quite literally, the following vocalized ad-libs strike in slithering and whispering making the overall effect that of a spell about to happen. And soon after a slight moment of silence, the stringent synth cuts in and slowly amps up as if proceeding with the greatest caution not to disturb the sonic transition.
And just when you thought the beat was gonna go berserk, the coveted high pitch instrument kicks in and sweetens Starz. By 1:16 we hear this synth alone as a matter of fact. The dreamy, easy landing sound goes on for a good minute. And by 2:16, as a matter of fact, the heavier causing thumps in pulling the song to a Grunge vibe bordering Alternative Rock. We did NOT see that coming! If there’s one producer who can go from Electro to Rock in a minute without losing total control over the music and direction of the arrangement, ladies and gents, that only happens on Antone’s level.
The slithering ad-libs conclude Starz and prep the audience for the third and final song off V2.0.
3. Raver’s Party
Ever thought of how it would be like if you were present at two parties simultaneously? Wonder no further. Raver’s Party is exactly that. Antone proved he knows the art of titling your song in such a manner as to flawlessly mirror the feelings it will instigate. Further from Electro and closer to Techno, Raver’s Party is insistent and serious. Almost Trance-bordering.
There are some low ad-libs in the background keeping the melody homogenous while the instruments keep taking turns and changing one after another. Antone has the fine skill of being an entertainer through his unexpected alterations of motifs and intercalations of sounds.
For the most part, Raver’s Party is streamlined until 1:37 when it completely switches course and two different heavy synths are introduced to us and we get to hear some singing too! The sequence will be found perfectly satisfactory by lovers of Alternative, Indie, and New-Age as it almost delves into what would make a perfect hook for a 2014 Lorde hook.
V2.0 is a sonically rich Electro experience enlivened by the premiere use of Antone’s vocals throughout the 3 tracks. With a consistent acoustic quality with a kind of almost religious fervor, Antone’s unmistakable signature alterations gain the affection of the public yet again leading to the modern acceptance of the 2000s lead genres. Welcome back Electro ❤
Make sure you add V2.0 to your playlist on Amazon Music HERE, on Apple Music HERE, on Deezer HERE, on YouTube Music HERE, and on Spotify below:
Written by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2021
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 