Kill The Noise 'Black Magic' EP Review

The latest EP to emerge from powerhouse OWSLA Records is the long-awaited follow up to Jake Stanczak’s ‘Kill Kill Kill’ EP last November. This young American producer has shown the world that he is a true force to be reckoned with, and easily ranks amongst the biggest names in the electronic dance scene. So, how does ‘Black Magic’ stack up? In one day, the album became the top dance album on the iTunes charts in both the US and Canada, and, as of writing this, is climbing the top 10 in the UK. Of course, it would be almost rude not to take the top spot on the Beatport new releases chart too, and top the album charts for dubstep, drum and bass and electro house along with it. To say this EP is big is something of an understatement. 

The EP opens with its title track, ‘Black Magic’, a drumstep successor to the imaginatively-named ‘Kill The Noise (Part I)’ on the first EP. Spine-tingling choral chanting leads into one of the filthiest drops in recent history, a thick, chugging bassline, padded out with KTN’s signature razor-sharp synths, and even occasional maniacal laughter echoing away in the background. From an audio nerd’s perspective, this track really showcases just how good Jake’s mastering really is, with warm, deep bass and aggressively clear (but never overstated) highs cutting cleanly through the mix. Stick this one up high on your stereo to give it a real workout.

Like Skrillex, Knife Party, Zomboy and Rusko to name a few, KTN has also jumped on the reggae/dub bandwagon with ‘Jump Ya Body’. Don’t get me wrong. This is by no means a bad thing. Imagine a track traditional reggae-style synth sounds and steel drums, with an infectious hook. Now pile it high with snarling bass and high-energy vocals and you’re probably about halfway there. This one’s pretty much guaranteed to go over big on dancefloors.

‘Rockers’ takes the EP back into more familiar electro house territory. Nothing too innovative here, with KTN sticking to his tried and tested formula for hard-hitting electro. Fans of Zomboy might notice some familiar themes here too from the recent ‘Vancouver Beatdown’. Nonetheless, there’s a lot to like here, with glitched-out samples, and some sparkling synth licks. 

‘Mosh It Up’ takes the listener back to something which might have once been dubstep. But, with an absolutely frantic build-up, and an insistent double-time rhythm, this short track is pretty much the ultimate DJ tool to get a crowd going, a platform to launch from into an insane drop. Expect to see this one get rinsed at every rave for the next few months. 

Another of the biggest names in the scene, Feed Me, collaborates on ‘Thumbs Up’, a midtempo/moombahton banger very reminiscent of Feed Me’s ‘One-Click Headshot’, even down to its use of an YouTube clip as its lead sample, ‘Thumbs Up for Rock and Roll!’. But, while this kid’s message might have been adorable in its original context, this sample unfortunately mostly serves to be intensely annoying here. Moombahton tracks tend to be quite difficult on the ears of many listeners, and this one probably won’t be winning over any new followers. While intensely funky, this one is still the album’s weakest point, and a lot of wasted potential, especially given the strength of Feed Me & KTN’s previous collaborations.

Fortunately, ‘Saturn’ turns everything around yet again, striking a stunning balance between progressive and electro house, and the evocative vocals of collaborator Minxx. Growling riffs take over during the breakdowns, before giving way to haunting piano and echoing synths. And, the piano stays in place for ‘To Be Continued…’, which is definitely the most unusual piece of the album, a piano cover of ‘Kill The Noise (Part I)’. Not even a single kick drum strays into this one, nor a single modulated bassline. Whether this is all part of Jake’s great master plan, or he simply bought a piano and wanted to play around with it is a mystery. What is certain is that this is a curious and rather beautiful end to the EP, and will inevitably be put to excellent use by remix artists around the world over the next few months. 

So, where does this leave us? ‘Black Magic’ is certainly among the hottest releases right now, and one of the year’s dance music highlights. Between this and ‘Kill Kill Kill’, no-one should be in any doubt as to the fact that KTN is one of the most terrifyingly talented producers on the planet. The big names had better hope he leaves a bit of space at the top for them, because this guy is showing no signs of stopping any time soon. 

Rating – 4.5/5