Flames Get Higher

DJDS featuring Amber Mark and Marco McKinnis “Trees On Fire”

There is a serious glut of “minimalist” music, to the point that the seemingly endless amount of negative space between clicky beats and thin vocals in a wide range of contemporary pop, rap, and indie music has come to feel oppressive and dull. DJDS’ single “Trees On Fire” feels like a step away from this status quo – it’s essentially a euphoric R&S/quasi-house song in the vein of Basement Jaxx – but there’s enough empty air in the arrangement to feel like a half-step removed from 2017 pop rather than a full leap. The song is very much about Marco McKinnis and Amber Mark’s vocals, and they’re big and bold enough to occupy most of the space in the music and direct its momentum. The beat and keyboard parts mostly just frame the vocal and reinforce the shape of the melody. There’s a cool, refreshing feeling to this music, like a blast of air conditioning through hot, humid air. It’s like getting a taste of relief, and the grasping desperately for more.

Buy it from Amazon.