• Genial rework of Alestorm’s hit
• An innocent bagpipe that provides a hilarious contrast
• Frenchcore with heavy “classic Hardstyle” flavoring
Whatever knowledge that I have acquired so far about the tenacious world of Frenchcore stems solely from Sefa (thanks to Beatmad’s critics of his songs) and his colleague Dr. Peacock, so excuse my less approximate views. Of course, I can’t cite myself as an expert on all genres, especially on this branch of Hardstyle that is too vigorous for my tastes. In recent years, however, I have started to appreciate the genius that this Belgian producer is, and his “Trip to” series that amalgamated Hardstyle with an ethnic presence eradiating from almost every part of the globe.
Lately, in their joint venture EP “Frenchcore Worldwide 08”, I have noticed a distinct shift towards “classic” Hardstyle (with fewer Frenchcore inclinations), and it is hard to personally gauge if old-school fans dig these experimental efforts, but Dr. Peacock has entered my comfort zone with excellent results.
[embedded content]
“Drink” is the newest synergy of the Doctor, shared with a promising name from the scene, D-Frek. After having worked together on “Ode To Madness”, the duo reunited for this rendition of Alestorm’s piece de resistance of the same title. I would suggest watching the video which is reminiscent of “Peaky Blinders” of all things; very amusing as usual, with the on-screen protagonists hamming it up on a reckless pub fight.
The initial anti-climactic drop is expected Frenchcore, with brutal kicks hammering at 200+ BPM. In this roaring schema, the original vocal sails high and instantly create the party aura that charges up the listener. I liked how the duo retained the original “ballad” timbre and inserted a dynamic, pumping low-end to speed things further without exceeding into exaggerated noisy outcomes. As I will tell you later, for now, “Drink” doesn’t sound anything like a sailor’s shanty.
Yes, the bagpipe left me devastated. Instead of the usual violin (which I was expecting, knowing the names involved), there’s this delicate, elegant instrument that softly plays in the foreground, completely oblivious to the vicious company of distorted kicks and the screaming vocal around it. There’s a touch of amusement, the kind of fun that I am looking mostly for at a thriving, chaotic party. The ambiance turns into an Irish ballad eventually, with the introduction of an accordion in the final breakdown. Three minutes and a second later of pure and undiluted fun, it has been on constant repeat for me since the very Friday morning it came out.
“Drink” has earned the title of my favorite Frenchcore production from this year, even if I rarely dabble in this genre. My recommendation goes out to the listeners who aren’t used to this niche style, it’s gold material for parties.
You can listen to “Drink” here:
[embedded content]