Australian producer Wilsonn dropped his bootleg mixtape, Idiocentric, last week. The process of how he creates his tracks sets him apart from other producers; instead of adding a new beat or melody to a track, Wilsonn takes instrumental tracks and adds his own vocals and melodies. This adds a completely new dynamic to the original track, as he has the ability to give new meaning to these songs. Idiocentric is a compilation of six tracks that Wilsonn has taken and remixed in his own way.
The mixtape starts out with Wilsonn’s version of “Slowments” by fellow Aussie, Touch Sensitive. The track starts out as a bit repetitive, but it begins to pick up and turn into a catchy beat by the time the vocals hit the chorus. Wilsonn cleverly incorporates the title of the track into his lyrics: “These are the memories of the moments, of the moments, of the slowments.” He does this with a couple other tracks, which I think is really cool because the original title is shaping the lyrics in a way.
The second track we hear is Wilsonn’s cover of “Periscope” by StéLouse. Personally, the transition to the second track felt a little out of place- I feel there could’ve been a smoother way to slow down the tempo. I enjoyed his version of “Periscope” though, as he added a jazz vibe to the electronic track, which is an interesting take.
The following transition features a monologue by the vocalist himself, stating what he is thankful for, which ties into the next track, “Thankful,” originally by Feki. The lyrics Wilsonn accompanied this cover with tell a love story about two people from different worlds. To be honest, I’m not crazy about this one- compared to the other tracks in the mixtape, this one felt a little meh.
The fourth track is the Aussie’s cover of “nO less” by SBTRKT. The original track is nice and mellow- fast tempo yet chill background music. Wilsonn’s vocals compliment the track nicely as neither are overpowered by the other.
The following track is a rework of Ta-ku‘s “Night 17,” which was part of a 25 track tribute to the late Japanese artist, Nujabes. I’m a huge Ta-ku fan and hearing vocals over an emotional track like this gave it even more feeling. Putting “nO less” and “Night 17” back to back is a smart move by Wilsonn, as it shows his versatility as a vocalist; these tracks have two different sounds, providing him two different registers to sing in.
Last but certainly not least is What So Not‘s “Touched.” Wilsonn’s vocals match up perfectly with that nasty bass drop and man oh man I love it. I’ve always thought “Touched” was great by itself, but these vocals really add another dimension to this track. What a way to end a mixtape.
Saint Audio 