OPHELIA RECORDS INTRODUCES NEW SERIES WITH ‘ADVENT: VOLUME 1’ [REVIEW]

May 22, 2020 - Written by Corey Massey - EDM Identity

Ophelia Records has made huge strides since first surfacing in 2018. As his own homegrown label, Seven Lions set out to ensure they’re established, diverse, and chocked-full of talent and we’ve seen some incredible artists being promoted through this label and watched them grow.

Reaching beyond his normal scope of sound to bring in new talents, Seven Lions consistently gives a platform to smaller artists and exposes his fans to new music. Now, he’s double-downed on that mission by introducing a new bi-annual EP focused completely on new producers, Advent: Volume 1.

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Advent: Volume 1 expands on the variety by going from bright and beautiful to low and dark with tunes from Draeden, Slooze, and Caster.

Upon pressing play on “Dystopia” you’re immediately transported into a deep, dark, grimy place. Vocals come in to give the track a great sense of musicality, which lead to an invigorating hard bass drop. Draeden is a name I also was unfamiliar with, but as I listened to the chorus go from hard to melodic, I simply needed know more about him. This track shows a great deal of promise for future releases as his techniques fit right in with the Ophelia family.

Slooze brings for “Evolution” – a theatrical piece, with plenty of ups and downs. As much as I’ve written about different artists and sounds, this is one of the most unique sounding tracks I’ve listened to. From melancholy piano chords to soaring high leads in the buildup to a heavy drop, this track goes everywhere, in the best way possible. There’s a bit of a distorted electric guitar sound in the chorus to bring that truly dark sound he’s going for.

Caster is one of the artists on this EP that I’m actually familiar with. After hearing the work he’s done work with SWARM, I fell in love with his extremely dark, almost demonic sound. On “Chimera,” he showcases that perfectly, bringing us a baroque-style dubstep track, incorporating elements of psy-trance and hardstyle. It’s obvious there’s so much in store for this artist as listeners are instantly captivated by his dark and hellish sounds.