Mic The Drums “Hometown Hi Fi” EP Reviewed

Michael Aguilar is a brand new trap DJ/producer, who goes by the name of Mic The Drums. With his first EP release, "Hometown Hi Fi", Mic The Drums is giving the EDM world one of its first examples of progressive trap music. His electro-inspired trap sounds present a new direction the genre may be heading, and give us a taste of a DJ/producer that may be the next big thing in trap. After the EP's dream-like sounding intro is the track "Turn Up", which sounds like a Dutch-house infused dosing of trap, supplying the heavy bass and rhythm of hip-hop songs, with housey synth, chaotic vocal cuts, and electronic effects. The EP instantly changes direction with the more gangster-rap oriented "Good Day". While the track contains some electro-house synth progressions and build effects, the chopped and screwed tempo and vocals, and its percussion come to the forefront of the track, giving it a heavy hip-hop flavor. With the following track, "The Willies", the EP shifts right back towards an electro disposition, as Aguilar uses vocal cuts of Swanky Tunes' single "Here We Go". The track also contains a big room key progression that switches to a steel drum sound, once again creating the desirable balance between electro and hip-hop. The EP ends with "Slow Motion For Me", a chilled out track that sounds like a page out of Pretty Lights' playbook. Melodic strings and keys blend with drum set percussion, while Mic The Drums once again shows his knack for steady hip-hop bass and clean mixing of vocal cuts. This more relaxed hip-hop inclined track completes Aguilar's tour through a various range of hip-hop and dance music sounds with "Hometown Hi Fi". With trap music gaining more and more popularity within the EDM culture, Mic The Drums is assisting to further the growth of a relatively new genre of music. It seems that Mic The Drums is set for big things, perhaps paving the way for more forms of progressive trap music.