Artist: Darude Album: Label This!

Year: 2007
Duration: 1:17:38

Label This! Album Review: A Stunning Musical Journey by Darude

It's hard not to associate electronic dance music (EDM) with Darude. His hit single, Sandstorm,” is a cult classic in its own right and even after almost two decades of its release, it still gets played at the world's biggest music festivals. Label This! is Darude's sixth studio album released on EnMass Music, featuring eleven tracks of pure electro-house goodness. The album came out in September 2018, a time when EDM had transitioned into a new phase which explored different sub-genres. In this blog, we offer a critical review of Label This!, take a trip through the history of Darude, examine the music genre of the album, elucidate the best songs, explore the innovative parts, and finally, provide our analysis of it all.

Darude is a Finnish DJ, record producer, and songwriter whose real name is Ville Virtanen. His creative journey started in the early 1990s in his native country where he performed at small venues and clubs before going on to perform in festivals across Europe in the early 2000s. Darude's music has always been inspired by the melodic techno and progressive house sub-genres of EDM. Label This!, in contrast, is primarily an electro-house album with various sub-genres blended in, including bass house and big room. The album has a broad range of elements that have been enhanced through his collaborations with fellow DJs and producers, thereby creating a new direction for himself in the ever-changing world of EDM.

While the entire album is a sublime musical journey, there are five tracks that stand out: Timeless, Surrender, Singularity, Tuck Drop, and No More Tears to Cry. Timeless is a fast-tempo track that has a melodic drop that's both tantalizing and enigmatic. Surrender is a song that starts off with a groovy bass and a highly emotive vocal complemented by an intense buildup before dropping into hard-hitting bass. “Singularity” is the third track and is a perfect blend of big room with electro house. Tuck Drop features intense bass and unique synth edits that increase the intensity of the track. Finally, No More Tears to Cry” is a well-written track with a slow and sensual buildup with a profound message of lost love.

The album has several innovative parts, including the diverse array of featured artists. Surrender, for instance, features the Los Angeles-based singer Ashley Wallbridge and is a perfect illustration of Darude's flexibility. The featured artists add new dynamics to some of the tracks and demonstrate an intelligent approach to the selection of compositions. The album's production reflects an incredible level of professionalism and attention to detail. One particular part of the album I found innovative was the combination of melodic elements, builds, and drops, which was executed consistently and tastefully.

On the critical front, the album lacked enough depth in terms of exploring new sub-genres. Darude sticks to the traditional four-to-the-floor beat that dominates EDM. Although Singularity and Sunrise showcase traces of progressive and big room house, respectively, it would have been refreshing to see Darude push boundaries even further and take some risks. The album is already remarkable, but it could have used more diversity to make it unforgettable.

Label This! is a stunning musical journey that showcases Darude's unique blend of electro house. The album is well-produced and offers a variety of tracks with innovative sounds to the EDM genre. Timeless, Surrender, Singularity, Tuck Drop, and No More Tears to Cry are the standout tracks which would certainly ignite the dance floor. Although the album lacked the exploration of new sub-genres, Darude has created an innovative album that is certainly worth listening to. With this in mind, it is our opinion that Label This! is a top-notch album that deserves more attention than it has received.