French house maestro Benoit Heinz, AKA Surkin, made a name for himself with his first few EPs. Songs like "Radio Fireworks" and "White Knight Two" became small hits, and brought Surkin underground recognition. His debut album, USA, proved how far his productions could reach genre-wise, ranging from pop to hip-hop to 80s ghetto house. His new six-track EP, "Advanced Entertainment System", aims to increase this range, welcoming dubstep and trap-influenced sounds into the mix.
Surkin's production is as tight as always here. The warm synthesizers, fresh beats, and energetic vocal samples are essentials in Surkin's music. As bright as the production is, this is probably Surkin's darkest work yet. The beats hit a lot harder, and some tracks dismiss structure altogether, instead opting for an atmospheric feel. Intro track "Boot Screen" is a short vignette that's made to resemble a computer start-up sound. It could very well be expanded into it's own track, maybe even released later as an extended mix.
"Oedo 606" expands upons the retro sound introduced previously. It's a solid track with a lot of energy. Surkin is experimenting with trap music on this song, but it has many differences that set it apart from the genre (the lack of a machine-gun hi-hat, for example). "Tiger Rhythm" takes a dark turn, featuring little to no synths and a thunderous drum beat.
On "Stronger", Surkin rips out some dubstep, with the help of Marble labelmate Canblaster. Although Surkin doing dubstep isn't as bad as it sounds, this song is a bit disappointing. He brings out a vocal sample and sticks with it until the end, but doesn't do anything interesting with it. The beat, while heavy, is a bit plodding and uninspired. Still, it's upbeat and quite listenable.
"Lakeside" is the polar opposite of "Tiger Rhythm", featuring a plethora of synths and almost no drums. It's similar in that regard to "Gold Island" off of USA. Though the atmosphere is engaging, I feel the song would benefit from a nice hip-hop or trap beat. "Warehouse" is another dark track, but it still brings that Surkin quirkiness. This one is a crazy banger with possibly the heaviest beat to ever come out of a Surkin production.
Surkin is a versatile producer, and like I said, this is his darkest work yet. In some instances, it works in his favor. In others, it sounds a bit too conventional for a musician that's known to push boundaries. This EP is solid, but a couple tracks could use some reworking. Surkin fans will enjoy this, and maybe so will newcomers, but if you want the best example of what Surkin has to offer, I would suggest listening to the "Next Of Kin" EP, or just USA.
Favorite tracks: "Tiger Rhythm", "Oedo 606", "Warehouse"
Least favorite track: Ehhh, "Stronger (feat. Canblaster)".
Final score: 6.5 out of 10.
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