I always love to see a good genre blend–so when I saw this new Excision x Wooli x The Devil Wears Prada track, “Reasons”, in my inbox… I got really excited. For some reason, I didn’t expect to see these artists all on one song–but together, they’re nothing short of magic. Who knew? (Not me, apparently).
Even with this year’s Disco Punk announcement, sometimes genre lines remain strangely rigid in my head–like how they were when I was in high school. (Remember those cliquey days? Fun…)
But, I’m happy to report that the (mental) genre lines have become a bit more fluid, and it’s in part thanks to “Reasons”. Do be sure to check it out.
Listen to “Reasons” by Excision x Wooli x The Devil Wears Prada on Spotify:
Delightfully aggressive, yet emotional, this tune is everything I hoped it would be. The way that these three artists were able to blend melodic bass music with metalcore vocals and rock instrumentals is simply… -chefs kiss-.
Speaking on the track, here is what each of the contributing artists had to say:
“For this one, we wanted to bring together the heavy bass that our fans love with the raw energy of metal-influenced vocals. It was awesome working with Wooli and The Devil Wears Prada on this cross-genre collab,”
– Excision
“Excision and I originally started this a while ago and knew we needed a band like The Devil Wears Prada on it,” says Wooli. “This was my first time working with a band and I am extremely pleased with how this came along. Working with The Devil Wears Prada was an incredible experience. They are insanely talented writers and artists. I’m super excited for this one to come out!”
“When Excision and Wooli approached us about working together on a song, we were so stoked for the opportunity to dive into uncharted territory for The Devil Wears Prada. It was fun injecting the lyrical and musical flavors from [the 2022 album] Color Decay onto an EDM track, and the emotional and aggressive nature of our sound fit perfectly with their mastery of modern bass music.”
– The Devil Wears Prada
Though I’d never admit it back then, a song like “Reasons” is the exact kind of music I was looking for when I was younger. As an emo kid, I wasn’t necessarily “allowed” to like anything that resembled EDM by the clique. It was pop punk (and assorted Warped Tour genres) or bust.
But secretly, I was looping Martin Garrix’s “Animals” on my iPod as often as I spun Fallen on my portable CD player. (Anyone else remember the delightful Zillennial experience of going from cassette player to CD player to iPod all before middle school?) But seriously–Breathe Carolina’s Blackout is still a favorite.
I know that this isn’t exactly a unique experience.
As I got to know more folks within the wave scene, I felt more and more comfortable with simply… liking what I like.
Is wave “the emo scene” of EDM?
Something I had the utmost pleasure of learning as I attended many wave events last year is that many members of the wave scene “come from” various alternative scenes.
We’re talking ex-emo kids, ex-scene kids, ex-hardcore kids…you name it.
(In some cases, I am using the word “ex” lightly…. and yes, I’m talking about myself a bit here).
One of the best conversations I had while at the Liquid Ritual “Conference” in London last year was with Paul Ortiz AKA Chimp Spanner about this very thing.
After meeting many fellow metalheads and other folks whose love for rock, emo, and metalcore music nearly rivals that of their love for wave, I finally posed the question–what do these genres have in common?
Here’s how that went:
Ambur: “So what does wave mean to you?”
Paul: “so, I got introduced to it through STATIC ANGEL [and I am here to support her] but, like, I’m a metalhead, and this scene is full of creative people–everybody’s just got these eclectic and diverse tastes (that I admire).
And [wave] just seems like a really cool community–like, everyone’s so cool.”
Ambur: “What is there in common between wave and metal music, would you say?”
Paul: “There’s a lot–a lot of the same textures and soundscaping and stuff like that…Like, a lot of the grooves–like, the hard turns, with just, the energy and heaviness…”
Paul isn’t wrong there. The drama and emotionality in metal–and in wave music–is something that attracts listeners to both genres.
While the way these elements are generated within the music may be different, the ethos is similar.
The crowd these genres attract also has a similarly inclusive “come-as-you-are” attitude as well. Outsiders and outcasts alike are embraced by the wave and metal communities; we’ve been able to find a true sense of family there.
And, of course, bangers are bangers… headbanging and mosh pits are a common theme at these sort of shows as well.
I hope to continue to see more cross-genre, EDM-and-metal/hard rock/etc. type collaborations soon–and hopefully within the wave community as well.
Perhaps then the teenage, cliquey genre wars (even those that may only exist within my own mind) can end.
Keep in touch with Excision:
Connect with Wooli:
Find The Devil Wears Prada:
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