• Vocoded vocal loop as the backbone
• Slow pace, heavy distorted bass
• Minimal yet hypnotic structure
Since we’re already in the realm of exotic compositions, let me bring up something even crazier. HANDZ just dropped “Breath”, and this track is unlike anything else I’ve heard in a while. It opens in the most stripped-down way possible: a lone vocoded vocal, pulsing and vibrating as if it’s alive, slowly joined by small elements that creep in one by one. No rush, just pure tension building.
What really shocked me is how effective that minimalism is. The vocal loop doesn’t feel like an accessory, it is the whole track’s foundation. Its rhythm is hypnotic, almost uncomfortable at times, and when the first drop arrives with that echoing bass, it feels more like a shift in atmosphere than a typical EDM punch.
But then the madness comes. The bass starts distorting, getting heavier and more chaotic, yet the tempo stays slow and steady. It’s like the track refuses to speed up, choosing instead to crush you under pressure. That contrast between the static pace and the growing intensity is what makes “Breath” so wild.
I’ve got huge respect for HANDZ here. Taking a sample like that, turning it into a centerpiece, and building an entire composition around it without losing grip of the listener is no easy feat. Most producers would’ve turned it into a gimmick: instead, HANDZ makes it the heart of the track.
“Breath” is hypnotic, unsettling, and strangely beautiful.