REVIEW: 123Mrk ‘Refined Madness EP’

123Mrk made a powerful impact in the bass community with his release of his “Noname EP” on Infinite Machine earlier last year. The young producer out of Marseilles holds his reputation defiantly with the release of the “Refined Madness EP” dropping today thru Squelch & Clap.

The album is generously comprised of three original pieces, and of course two solid, fluctuating remixes – more on that in a bit. The originals found in the collection are heavily reminiscent of 123Mrk’s previous release, however there is a pristine, newfound flavor to be discovered in “Refined Madness.” The most striking aspect that the producer has introduced is his mastery of a certain ‘haziness’ discovered in his sound. It seems to be a reoccurring theme throughout his pieces – there is a layer that seems ‘out-of-focus’ yet perfectly in sync with the rest of the song, a method both time consuming and one that requires professional experience to pull off correctly.

The EP begins with those described ‘foggy’ synths – mysterious and evident of something truly substantial about to drop. Cue the deeply pitch-shifted R&B vocals and the weighty low-ends. The composition smoothly transitions into a faster-paced, two-step piece encompassed in washed out rim shots and crisp, synth-related sixteenth notes. 123Mrk has an eerie ability of layering different seams of the song that should not necessarily line up with one another, yet magically they do. Similar to the other two originals on the EP, the producer keenly fades out the song at a comfortable, unobtrusive pace leaving the listener with a feeling of auditory anxiety, only to be pacified by further listens. But fight the urge, cause there’s more and it’s damn good. ‘Untroubled’ continues the hazy but refined madness that is 123Mrk (Pun very much intended).  While there are similar elements to the first track, this one has a much more joyful ethos to it, showcasing the French producers diversity in terms of the emotion he can implement within a track. The vocals that have been sampled and altered are evocative of a summery montage, involving late night shindigs and classic romances. The third and final innovation of 123Mrk’s, possibly the EP’s most notorious thus far, is full of hefty, extensive lows, wicked vocals, and ear-splitting synths. A wonderfully crafted two-step track, ‘Weird’ should get you swaying your cranium at an unhealthy, and socially awkward tempo – in a good way, of course.

“Refined Madness” is wonderfully embellished with two cumbersome remixes, both of ‘Weird’, thanks to the ever-talented Borussia, and Kastle. Borussia’s endeavor of reworking 123Mrk’s tune has resulted in something much darker and sinister in nature. While it could be just the naïve ears of yours truly, the elements of the former hymn have resided and in their place is something entirely original, aside from the subtle vocal samples scarcely audible through out the track. Nonetheless, Borussia has created a ‘banger’ that compliments the “Refined Madness EP” with its noticeable variability. Kastle’s rendition differs completely from Borussia’s and is much closer to 123Mrk’s original, but still very much a ‘different’ track. The track steers away from the haziness that the original dwells on, and instead takes a very afro-centric approach, with possibly some of the loudest rim shots ever sampled in the history of bass music.

123Mrk, if anything, is a sign of the times ladies and gentleman. Progressive, emotional, and redefining the bass music culture as we know it – one masterful album at a time. “Refined Madness” is available off Boomkat today. Grab yourself a copy.