(Photo By The N-Crowd Entertainment)
“The Best Things” (listen/download)
The N-Crowd Entertainment recently put The Illixer on to something new that they have going on by way of their upcoming EDM/Trap/Experimental collective, Solmanipulation. Solmanipulation consists of familiar names N8 The Gr8 & Maryann along with a fresher name to readers, Van Dope. The trio are working together to step outside of their already avant-garde roots and bring something even more progressive to the Electronic genre via unique songs & videos. They dub their style “DMT” aka Dance Music Trap. To give a better idea of what they are all about, they are currently pushing their premiere single/video “The Best Things.”
The song itself is of a creeping tempo with anomalous yet enticing components and a trippy vibe. The content contains Maryann’s hallmark vocals and a message pertaining to the wealthier side of life vs. the things that are free. The A-1 production combined with the significant theme makes for a top-level track. The video is pretty fascinating too. It was put together by the trio themselves. It centers around a female who is obsessed with the finer things in life to the point of being a tad on the strange side.
She sits on her bed in a very femininely decorated room. It’s adorned with shades of pink, a Hello Kitty pillow, and a lone light. The girly tone is accented by the added sparkly effect on the back wall of the bedroom. The subject of the video is also rocking long flowing pink hair. She becomes bored and decides to flip through some upscale magazines. When she finds pages she likes, she rips them out, pastes her face on them, and hangs them on her wall. This carries on for a good duration of the visuals. A secondary scene features the subject in a fur coat seemingly zoning out to the music amidst a plain backdrop. In addition to the two scenarios, are an incredibly deviceful set of elements that truly wow the aesthetic senses. The flick wraps up with a dark tone that breeds some eerie shots of the subject and features the defacing of the earlier mentioned luxury magazines. Overall, this was great imaginative vision. It was meant to serve as a satire of sorts as the song itself contends that the free things in life are more valuable than the those that come with a price. The trio did a sensational job of getting their point across.
**My Two Cents: I dig Solmanipulashun. I think the three work well together and are truly onto something epic. “The Best Things” was a cool record but the video was insane. The concept was very original and memorably executed. From the Anime doll like demeanor of the subject to the vivid special effects, the visuals didn’t miss a beat. This was a splendid introduction to the group. If readers agree and would like to hear more, the second single off of their upcoming untitled project can be found on Sound Cloud. It’s coined “Deeper” and takes on a much different flavor. It’s a hit offering too. -MinM
