Saka releases ‘Monomyth’, a bass-heavy dubstep story of good & evil
Although sans vocals, the narrative of the hero overcoming mythical beings is ever-present
Hong Kong artist Saka has released his six-track EP ‘Monomyth’ on Of The Trees’ label Memory Palace.
This project dives into deep dubstep, bass, breaks, and more, narrating the tale of a “hero’s quest—the Monomyth” without a single lyric. Each track aims to illustrate this journey, capturing its highs, lows, triumphs, and failures.
It blends electronic bass music and Chinese cultural elements that create an experience filled with ups and downs that is mostly engaging.
The EP kicks off with light, breezy breakbeat percussion reminiscent of Salute before transitioning to more experimental bass, dubstep and more. ‘Ifrit’, inspired by Islamic mythology, illustrates the supernatural with its sinister choir and ominous bass.
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‘Shenlong’, a term from Chinese mythology meaning “divine dragon”, marks the defeat of said demon in the narrative, and is one of the more powerful cuts on the project, with its gritty bass stabs and high-energy percussion.
The closing track, ‘Phantasm’ (meaning “illusion”) reveals that the protagonist's journey was all a dream. While this twist might seem clichéd, the track’s deep, earthy bass and subtle elements make it arguably the strongest cut on the project, tying the closer off nicely.
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It’s a solid listen for fans of dubstep, bass and in-your-face synths, all tied together in a cohesive and surprisingly followable narrative.
Purchase Saka’s ‘Monomyth’ here.
Henry Cooper is a Writer at Mixmag Asia. Follow him on Instagram.
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