Listen up, eyes wide. This new joint here by the man they call Lexo the Great has been on heavy rotation. Accompanied by an impressive video, the tune “Gemini” is a certified banger. Seven Lions’ original non-vox mix entitled “Deep Divide,” gets a flipped rework by the Long Beach lyricist, creating a wicked concept tune boosted by visual aesthetics.
Lexo’s approach to the artistry with this comes in the vein of that, 'me-myself-and-I-neurosis' of a man on his hustle. As he engagingly expands upon it, Lexo manifests a sick mental head-fuck for listeners. I found it to be a fitting concept for the pensive nature of dubstep, which constantly fluctuates between pent-up bass pressures, which inevitably get released on the drop. The critical ‘dark’ characteristic of dubstep is apparent from the outset on this track. Lexo kicks it off in a conversation with those angel-and-devil avatars on both shoulders. That is, so to speak… they are actually just playing chess and ting, and having a chat. What’s so brilliant is that Lexo maintains the balance within himself in response to their conscientious advice. So in the end, neither of these voices gets to him, rendering the whole situation as a badman ting in his own right. Then, that Seven Lions drop hits to let you know.
This is actually the second collaborative project of Lexo and Seven Lions, a rapidly rising south-coast producer. The first was a debut EP entitled “Keep It Dirty”, which I reviewed here. Although I highly rated the original releases, I must say “Gemini” tops them all. The following verse section ups his ante as you see Lexo’s flow develop with the tempo, showcasing man’s diverse skill-set when he busts that multidimensional west-coast style in the year 2012. With the classic ethos of ‘space/pace/bass’ dubstep was built upon, that dark void of bass-weight lets Lexo use all the tools at his disposal. More importantly, he innovates upon what is already intrinsic to that west-coast flare. In the video, Lexo proceeds to enter a dark room occupied by a sexy rendition of Eden offering her sinful apple. Man lets you know straight away that this is his last verse, setting a metaphorical tone that stakes are high as he enters into a new direction as a dubstep artist: “This is the final test, I think we’re getting near, but all that riffraff kinda makes it hard to hear.” This interpretation may be a stretch, but since this is one of Lexo’s first original dubstep productions since venturing onto the scene, it’s his shot to take the right path for himself. Either way, it maintains the concept of the tune while complimenting Seven Lions’ production. When the seductive Eve speaks back, she personifies that demonic badman voice in his head with deep vocal filters over Lexo’s words to convey the interaction. Even though Lexo is talking to each of the personalities within himself, this particular tune epitomizes something unseen from Lexo (in his dubstep endeavors at least)… and a strong characteristic for any MC: his story telling ability.
The tune and video definitely take you on a journey; one marred by interjections from the voices in his head. The video is equally massive and attests to Lexo’s quality control abilities as he markets a new sound. He definitely knows who to work with, even flying to Ohio to shoot this bad ass video with director Jeffrey Moore of Axtravaganza Films. At this point, Lexo seems to cool out with the traditional west-coast hip-hop characteristics, as well as doing away with the unspoken ‘no-no’ of dubstep: don’t spit over the big bass drops. In the video, Lexo proceeds to slap the apple out of Eve’s hands, then spits over the drop in double-time. By his literal “taking it back and I’m flipping the script, it’s time for y’all to go,” Lexo has metaphorically done away with all critics, those same people embodied by the voices in his head.
Taking control of the situation through his flow, he silences those who could never comprehend his new-found exploration of dubstep. By layering the double-time bars over the heavy drop for his “final test,” Lexo does away with any naysayers to this sound. Whether that chatter comes from the instrumental-preferred MC-free dubstep/EDM tip --or opposite, from the hip-hop heads still stuck in their own MC-dominant sonic environment. Closing it out proper, Lexo then fades out for another massive drop. Man is rising up quick, and considering that he is still relatively nascent to dubstep at large, there is definitely lots of headway for improvement and progress as he familiarizes himself with the sound. It took me a few years to hone the various vocals practices drawn out from 140 UK bass music’s ‘forward-thinking’ attributes. Lexo has demonstrated a quick adaptability, which has become a key trait in our rapidly altering, global EDM platform.
Seven Lions, aka Jeff Montalvo, is also kicking off big moves in 2012. He recently charted in the top 5 on Beatport for his contest-clinching remix put on by trance dons, Above & Beyond. You can cop this beautiful hybrid of trance and dubstep, here. Seven Lions has also just announced his participation in the UKF So-Cal tour. This company is by far one of America’s favorite UK promotions and his inclusion is to be applauded. The tour dates will hit all up the central-coast from San Francisco to Santa Ana and features a huge line-up of artists such as the UK’s Gemini and Koan Sound, in addition to another Cali loke, Bassex. Lions. Keep locked on that massive tour coming through in late-March into early-April.
Lexo’s pushing strong with shows throughout Los Angeles, including opening for another Mickey Avalon show at the Malibu Inn on St. Patrick’s Day (tickets here). Last year, Lexo had our crew come through one of these parties, and with nothing but beautiful woman on the Malibu coastline, it was straight vibezing. Keep locked on both these artists for 2012, as they will be making big moves in their own complimentary endeavors. Until then, keep up with that pressure and flip that script any chance you get. P.E.A.C.E.
Lexo’s pushing strong with shows throughout Los Angeles, including opening for another Mickey Avalon show at the Malibu Inn on St. Patrick’s Day (tickets here). Last year, Lexo had our crew come through one of these parties, and with nothing but beautiful woman on the Malibu coastline, it was straight vibezing. Keep locked on both these artists for 2012, as they will be making big moves in their own complimentary endeavors. Until then, keep up with that pressure and flip that script any chance you get. P.E.A.C.E.
