Pennsylvania-based musician and producer Xander Raymond Charles is a sonic boundary pusher. He’s also a rather prolific artist who’s had a seriously busy year thus far. Today, however, I’d like to hone in on three tracks he unleashed a little over two months ago. Produced and recorded in Xander’s home studio, his ‘FRAUD’ EP is an auditory adventure down the road less travelled.
Making a conscious effort to fuse nu-metal with hip-hop, EDM, and Dubstep (considered illegal in some countries), Xander somehow crafts a cohesive, dynamic, high-energy, and seriously intense record.
‘Fraud’ kicks things off and the listener is immediately thrown into the sonic deep end with gritty, hard-hitting guitar riffs and sharp, almost panicked, Serum-concocted synths. It’s a potent beginning.
‘Motive’ then steps up to the plate and further plunges us into some incredibly fierce and no-holds-barred sounds that just grip you, before ‘Switch’ closes out proceedings with more dark and inventive goodness.
Truthfully, ‘FRAUD’ won’t be for everyone. I recently described a tune as “an experience that challenges the listener…and an invitation to break free from the cookie-cutter and formulaic sounds of the mainstream”. ‘FRAUD’ is exactly that. An acquired taste. But an undoubtedly worthy one.
Serious EP alert! Enjoy ‘FRAUD’ on Spotify now:
