By: Kerry McNeil
DJ/producer Stephan Jacobs, of the electro duo Kether, is blazing a solo trail with his highly anticipated EP In The Vortex. After blowing up SoundCloud with some of the site’s most popular tracks, including a collaboration with +Verb called “Blind Dreams,” the So-Cal DJ is ready to pump out his signature sensual female vocal samples, mixed with up-tempo dubstep, glitch-hop, and everything in between to dance floors eagerly awaiting his unique ‘West Coast crunk’ concoctions.
The complex and darkly melodious “Closer,” opens the EP with a bang, swiftly sliding into the steamy vocals of Cali native Binah D’Amour, balancing the heavy beats with her chopped-up samples splayed against glitchy effects. “Hold It Together,” employs glitchy beats and intense laser-synths in tandem with the fast-paced hip-hop stylings of Shay Faded to create an intricately layered dance rhythm. A steady beat and alien synths introduce “Hyperion,” a fitting name for such an intergalactic track. The repeated melody from the beginning mashed up with levels of synth over it makes for particularly spacey vibe.
“In The Vortex,” begins with a static beat, but then Jacobs throws in a horn melody and grinding drums to create a true vortex of synthy electronica—complete with a, “fricky fricky baby girl”—and it only builds from there. “Into The Vortex,” is so intricately layered that it’s hard to pick out every element—it takes several listens to hear the subtle nuances, but it flows cohesively in one laid-back, head-boppin’ beat.
Sarah Brewer’s reverberating vocals add an organic and more human quality to the darker melodies on “Radiant Light,” and create an enjoyably jarring effect in contrast to the harsher sounds on the track. “Wub,” delivers bits of vocal glitch, along with driving percussion and such a fantastic sound that its title encompasses all there is to say. The track closes out Void with an impressively fresh and heavy rhythm.
Whatever it is that Jacobs is spitting out—dubstep, glitch, dance-heavy beats, ‘West Coast crunk’ or whatever you want to call it—the audience will be sure to tear up his sick jams on dance floors everywhere.