After years of anticipation for a collaborative album, B-Front and Frontliner join forces as B-Frontliner to take listeners to Other Planets.
Legendary duo B-Frontliner, known independently as B-Front and Frontliner, have taken the scene by storm with their classic rawstyle sounds. They have performed together at prestigious hard dance events such as Defqon.1, REBiRTH Festival, Hardfest, and more. After several years of the two teasing the joint album, their latest LP, Other Planets, has finally landed on Roughstate.
At their most recent set together, which was held on Defqon.1’s live set stage at the UV stage, B-Frontliner conjoined their sonic powers to play out several unreleased tracks that eventually made it onto the Other Planets album. Many tracks had been released previously as singles, one even over a decade ago. This album will take you on an explorative journey through time and space metaphorically through the legends’ sonic trail they have blazed in the scene.
Read on to ride on this journey with us within our review, where we dive deep into the tracks. Make sure to stream Other Planets on your preferred platform. Let us know your thoughts on the album on Twitter!
Stream B-Frontliner – Other Planets on Spotify:
The “Two Warriors” intro establishes the tone and initiates the storyline of the two protagonists.
The introductory track provides an epic buildup for the ultimate duo: B-Frontliner. These two legends have accrued much knowledge and stories from countless destinations throughout their music careers. This journey starts in the cosmic nest and initiates its embarkment through the repetition of progressively pitch-increasing synths, “Auditory Nerve.” This track takes listeners through the liftoff into the unknown intergalactic journey that will ensue. This track fuels the expedition’s takeoff by utilizing chord progressions in a flat key, which creates a mysterious atmosphere as the two characters in the story are taken into the unknown.
Neither bound by death nor dark, “The World Outside” sings the indefinite continuity of space and is sonically personified by the track’s sharp key progressions. In contrast to the previous track, these enlightening keys represent the positive forward-facing direction into the unknown.
To pay respects to the greatness of the unknown, “Legacy Of The Creators” and “Rulers Of The Sky” serve as a tribute to knowing there is a greater power that created or formed what we know. The classic rawstyle sound shines brightly in both tracks with older structures of kicks and distortions representing old age simultaneously with its timelessness.
The melodious ambiance of “Secrets Of The Universe” is juxtaposed with the intensity of the kick distortions.
The sharp key in “Secrets Of The Universe” gives us a comforting, nearly joyful emotion regarding the universe’s complexity. Although there is uncertainty with the unknown, looking toward this vastness with optimism becomes easy. Similarly positive, “Other Planets” has an epic, theatrical buildup with melodious notes sprinkled within its synths. This track also looks forward to the destination with the motivation to “dance on other planets.”
“Heliosphere – Interlude” contains space jet engine sounds throughout its duration. The heliosphere is the outermost atmospheric layer of the Sun, so it seems you are edging toward the atmosphere of your destination on this journey. Featuring flat key progressions and the finale of repeating symphonic echoes, “Space Warrior” initiates our descent onto the destination planet through its build of anticipation throughout the track.
To embody the discovery of another life form on the destination planet, “Its Own Creation” presents with flat keys, creating a sense of uncertainty.
“Its Own Creation” emphasizes that “life is the universe,” allowing listeners to ponder that other life forms and possibilities are out in the indefinite space. The high amount of kick variations in the track can be perceived as the unpredictability of what’s out there. “The Anthem” is that of the other life form species; this track includes history through destruction and creation. The melodic breaks in the track give it a sing-along feel. The following track, however, gives off a darker aura.
Two scientists work on “Creating Monsters” as weapons against the life forms found on the destination planet in the laboratory. These two scientists, the protagonists of the story, plan to weaponize these creations to take over. This metaphorically states that B-Frontliner is paving the way for rawstyle sounds in the studio, utilizing these sounds to dominate the hard dance scene. “K.I.C.K.” emphasizes the power and lethal nature of the creation through its high distortion and creature-like screeches.
The intensity of kicks in “Destroy” accurately presents to annihilate in order to acquire the enemy’s data and technology base. The goal is to dominate the opposition, akin to “Sound Barrier,” which causes a “sonic boom.” This sonic boom could be the result of both the carnage from destroying the native life forms in addition to that of the carrier leaving the destination planet. “Sound Barrier” includes speedy, flat keynotes and bass-heavy kicks with a disenchanting atmosphere. This epic chapter is closed out by “Time Will Tell – Outro,” leaving an ambiguous ending to the story of an endless journey.
This infinite journey through space metaphorically speaks of B-Frontliner’s music careers in the hard dance realm.
The album tells a story of ascending into space and into the unknown future of the journey with an optimistic outlook, just as B-Frontliner jointly entered the scene with optimism for change with their sounds. These two artists who helped pioneer today’s sound of rawstyle, B-Front and Frontliner, have successfully evolved hard dance. Just as the album tracks had, the duo made a monstrous creation that brought havoc upon the previous life form, metaphorically for the previous sound of hard dance.
Fortunately, B-Frontliner does not intend to stop there, as they constantly evolve their sounds together and independently. In the future of the scene, we would not be surprised if these two keep exponentially blazing their trails as inspirational legends.
B-Frontliner – Other Planets – Tracklist:
- Two-Warriors – Intro
- Auditory Nerve
- The World Outside
- The Legacy of The Creators
- Rulers Of The Sky
- Secrets Of The Universe
- Other Planets
- Heliosphere – Interlude
- Space Warrior
- It’s Own Creation
- The Anthem
- Creating Monsters
- K.I.C.K.
- Destroy
- Sound Barrier
- Time Will Tell – Outro