French-native ASKA has just released a debut, three-song EP through the Ethereal label titled Ghost. At only 20 years old, this producer has already found his voice within the electronic music spectrum, releasing a slew of hard-hitting and completely unique tracks over the last four months. As his partnership with Ethereal grows stronger, we hope to see many more contributions alongside the collective’s already-saturated roster of quickly rising talent. The Ghost EP is free to download.
The leading track “Bring It On Back” begins with quickly migrating snares emerging alongside an echoey and indecipherable vocal loop. Before you have time to settle in, a wonderfully tight kick and shakers explode to the front of the space with power and confidence. A brass-inclined synth punches against the rhythm, until all of the elements are stripped away to make room for a short respite. The beat is brought back with newfound energy, and is eventually accompanied by long, sustained tones to finish.
Next is a deadly collaboration with 14 year-old Austrian producer Exyle called “Lab Rat“. Sharp, metallic sweeps lead into a heavy, fast-paced beat adorned with rolling hi hats and pitched up vocals. The rhythm is cut in half, as slow-attack chords transform the song into a mellow hip hop viber. Out of nowhere, the intensity is brought back with arpeggiated blips and beeps in front of it all. The fadeout is a calming combination of the vocal samples and the previous chords.
Finally, we come to the title track “Ghost“. Faraway rings push their way through the ominous white noise until they breach the surface. The crisp hits are partnered with a relentless shaker and dynamic kick drum. Danny Brown‘s “Blunt After Blunt” vocals make their way into the rhythm, chopped to perfection. After a short breather, the bells are traded for broken gulps of silver timed just far enough away from the beat to make you frown.
