Over the past few weeks, we here at Your EDM have made it evidently clear that we were ecstatic about the impending release of MUST DIE!‘s latest work, his Fever Dream EP. After countless hours of waiting, the time has come for the rising Atlanta-based producer to make his official debut on the illustrious Never Say Die Records. At first glance, Fever Dream appears to be a continuation of Lee Bates’ style of combining unrelenting bass with melodics, however, I encourage you to listen to and analyze this release as a milestone and testament to this young artists’ rapidly growing career.
Within the past two years, I’ve listened and watched MUST DIE! rise from someone under the radar to releasing his debut EP on one of the most prolific bass music albums in the industry. His sound has maintained its raw and in many cases brutal sound while his level of production has steadily increased – further highlighting his creative vision and talent. In my opinion, Fever Dream is a great balance of the sound many fans have grown to crave from MUST DIE! coupled with a few selections that speak to his openness to experimentation. 
The EP kicks off with the title track, “Fever Dream”. I reviewed “Fever Dream” last week when it was given out as a free download and it still remains one of my favorites off of the release. Combining an almost dream-like atmosphere with crunchy bass, “Fever Dream” is a stellar representation of Lee’s sound. “Snowcone”, the second track of the release, while still aggressive, emphasizes melody and expertly sliced vocals more so than many of MUST DIE!’s other dubstep records. The next track of the release, a collaboration with Computer Club titled, “Payback”, is a complete change of pace from the first two songs, which I found to be extremely refreshing. “Payback” is a driven electro house record, that cleverly maintains the energy level of the entire release while relieving any sense of monotony present throughout the release. From “Payback”, the release takes a turn back to the heavier side with arguably my favorite track of the EP, “Multiple Exits”. “Multiple Exits”, a collaboration with Mantis, builds with an interplay of somewhat eerie and haunting melodies which pan and open into an onslaught of punishing bass. I remember hearing MUST DIE! play this on Mixify a few months back and I’m elated to finally have the full version of this heater. The Fever Dream EP, culminates and concludes with the final tracks, “Recovery Crystal” and “Hexadecimal”. “Recovery Crystal” in my opinion is on par with “Multiple Exits” at the top of MUST DIE!‘s discography. Blending surreal melodies with heaps of blistering bass, “Recovery Crystal” is another gem incorporated into this release while “Hexadecimal” is much more experimental. Touching on aspects of future bass and garage, “Hexadecimal” defiantly closes the EP in an extremely unexpected yet well received mellow fashion.
All in all, I was extremely pleased with MUST DIE!‘s Fever Dream EP. Many of the tracks on this release had my attention within seconds of hitting the play button which isn’t always the case nowadays. My only qualm with the EP would be its tendency to become repetitive at points throughout listening. On the flip side, I felt the release to have a very cohesive feel from record to record with the exception of “Payback” and “Hexadecimal”. Fever Dream launched earlier today, so make sure to stream the EP below, purchase your copy on Beatport and formulate your own opinion on this rising artist’s latest work.
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