Ophelia Records Introduces New Series with 'Advent: Volume 1' [Review]

Ophelia Records showcases fresh artists for their fans to explore and experience with the first release of their new, bi-annual series Advent.

Ophelia Records has made huge strides since first surfacing in 2018. As his own homegrown label, Seven Lions set out to ensure they’re established, diverse, and chocked-full of talent and we’ve seen some incredible artists being promoted through this label and watched them grow.

Reaching beyond his normal scope of sound to bring in new talents, Seven Lions consistently gives a platform to smaller artists and exposes his fans to new music. Now, he’s double-downed on that mission by introducing a new bi-annual EP focused completely on new producers, Advent: Volume 1.

This eight-track EP showcases some of the best talents in melodic bass, house, and hard bass and features the likes of HGHLND, Amidy, Slooze, and more who bring a diverse new sound to fans. From the dark depths of Caster‘s beats to the housey tunes of Arpyem, this EP has a little something for everyone.

Listen to Advent: Volume 1 on Spotify below, download or stream the release on your preferred platform, and read on for my take on this compilation that’s out now on Ophelia Records.

Stream Ophelia Records – Advent: Vol 1 on Spotify:

Advent: Volume 1 keeps the sound of Ophelia Records with newly introduced artists such as Thrillogy, Luke Anders, and HGHLND.

Upon pressing play on the first track, “Enough,” we’re met with gorgeous string chords and a heavy beat drop. Ophelia Records regular Gallie Fisher is back lending her smooth vocals, breathing life into this outstanding production. A beautiful melody met with a bright and dramatic soundscape makes this track really stand out on the album. This is the first I’ve heard of Thrillogy, but after listening to this track, I’m sure this won’t be the last.

Next, Roxanne Emery lends her vocals to “Darkness,” which also introduces Luke Anders and HGHLND to fans and gives them a glimpse into what they’re all about. Both artists have multiple releases on trance labels such as AVA Recordings, A State of Trance, and Armada, and that same talent is seen in the production of the tune.

“Darkness” is actually my personal favorite on the release as the track mixes just the right amount of grimy and melodic tones to create an exciting track from beginning to end. Who’d a thought two trance artists could team up to create such a great dubstep track?

Advent: Volume 1 expands on the variety by going from bright and beautiful to low and dark with tunes from Draeden, Slooze, and Caster.

Upon pressing play on “Dystopia” you’re immediately transported into a deep, dark, grimy place. Vocals come in to give the track a great sense of musicality, which lead to an invigorating hard bass drop. Draeden is a name I also was unfamiliar with, but as I listened to the chorus go from hard to melodic, I simply needed know more about him. This track shows a great deal of promise for future releases as his techniques fit right in with the Ophelia family.

Slooze brings for “Evolution” – a theatrical piece, with plenty of ups and downs. As much as I’ve written about different artists and sounds, this is one of the most unique sounding tracks I’ve listened to. From melancholy piano chords to soaring high leads in the buildup to a heavy drop, this track goes everywhere, in the best way possible. There’s a bit of a distorted electric guitar sound in the chorus to bring that truly dark sound he’s going for.

Caster is one of the artists on this EP that I’m actually familiar with. After hearing the work he’s done work with SWARM, I fell in love with his extremely dark, almost demonic sound. On “Chimera,” he showcases that perfectly, bringing us a baroque-style dubstep track, incorporating elements of psy-trance and hardstyle. It’s obvious there’s so much in store for this artist as listeners are instantly captivated by his dark and hellish sounds.

Some familiar names are brought back to bring tears to our eyes yet again as Amidy returns with “Fix You” and AWAKEND with “Save Me.”

Get your tissues ready, because Amidy is here to make you remember how to feel again. “Fix You” brings a terrific melody soaring around the dreamy vocals of… surprisingly Amidy himself! This singer/songwriter/producer is one hell of a triple threat breaking our hearts yet again as the tune features somber, yet hopeful lyrics alongside a great piano lead melody and major synth chords.

As if we didn’t already have enough emotion, AWAKEND is back to bring us “Save Me.” This track delivers melodic bass elements any Ophelia fan will fall in love with along with lyrics that are sure to get stuck in your head. It’s also perfectly placed in the album and appears at the right time for listeners to get lost in their feels.

Newcomer Arpyem introduces a rare sound to deep house banger “ndal.”

After Seven Lions own tunes “Let Go” and “Senseless” were released, it was clear that he had a love for the house-ier side of dance music. Now, he’s introduced fans of the label to Arpyem with “ndal” – an energetic house track sure to tantalize the taste buds with some deeper sounds.

With an incredibly catchy groove, a deep driving bassline, and punchy percussions, Arpyem has already blown me away with this production. This is a great track to break up the normal cadence of bass inspired tracks and leads me to believe this is an opportunity for Seven Lions to expand on house artists.

**After listening to Advent: Volume 1 it’s more than evident that Seven Lions has been hard at work to find new artists to support on Ophelia Records.**

One of my favorite things about Ophelia Records and what Seven Lions does for the scene is that he gives a platform to lesser-known artists to really showcase what they can do. From groovy house beats to heavy-hitting bass drops the EP is a great showcase of the type of talent he is looking to bring to his fans in the future. I can’t wait to see which artists appear on upcoming editions of Advent!