Planet Die recently released a revitalized sound into the electronic scene with his self-titled release I Want To Breathe. The four-track EP edges into avant electronic incorporating busy synthetic arrangements while maintaining charismatic melodies. It combines the sharpened and accentuated elements of post PC music with authentic rave edits that result in a cohesive but unique sound.
The person behind Planet Die is Carter Hickman, who is a student hailing from Columbus, Ohio. Planet Die is part of the midwest’s growing electronic scene. He credits his appreciation and inspiration to start working on electronic music originating from his attendance to raves. ‘I remember the feeling I got when having a memorable experience dancing to house music at a rave,’ he recalls. ‘After you have a unique experience listening to music at a rave, then that music sounds so different afterwards. I get a very specific, excited feeling when I listen to house music on my own now.’
Each song on his self-released project hits you with energy you would find on a dancefloor. The tracks on I Want To Breathe all create and conform to the theme of fast maximalist electronic music. To Hickman, electronic music is characterized as music that brings out carefree, youthful but also grimey feelings. His most recent work conveys just that.
With this project Hickman sought to produce electronic music that could be widely enjoyed by all, even those who are on the outside looking in when it comes to preferring electronic music. ‘I wanted to create music that is exciting even if you don’t necessarily like house or techno music, but that could also be mixed into a set at a rave,’ says Hickman.
The tracklist kicks off with ‘Baggy,’ an antagonistic tune that offers a progressive speedy rhythm and layered with the popular Kreyshawn sample from ‘Gucci Gucci.’ This genre-bending track sounds like pop experimination that has been pushed to the extreme.
‘Take your place’ combines cinematic and euphoric synths, charming melodies and filtered vocals. It’s followed by ‘Inhale,’ a more hard-hitting track that starts off creating tension through the use of immediate anxious siren samples. The abrasive melody is met with dark choppy vocals to combine into a solid rave tune.
The final track, ‘Heat’, starts with an industrial yet glitchy vocal hook which borders on experimental. Overall the EP is an exciting and refreshing taste of the electronic music coming out of the midwest.
