Well that definitely defied my expectations, going into this I was expecting something good but generic and although beginning plucks were a little generic they were effective at creating the mood this seemed to be going for. The rest of this seems unique, the drum pattern is basic; but so basic that it is seldom heard, so the result sounds unique. The snareclap has the perfect reverb amount and time, something hard to perfect in dubstep and it sounds too high pitched for dubstep, but here it works surprisingly well!
Overall the beginning exceeded my expectations, however the drop did the opposite... I think it was more that the beginning raised them too high than it was bad, but it could still use some improvements. First of all, this starts of creating a mind image of a rolling landscape of fantasy, the style left me expecting orchestral elements to uplift the song until suddenly the drop would boom out shredding the hypnotising peace...
Sadly it came too soon with no sign and needs more substance, it sounds hollow and rushed, I doubt it was because I know how difficult dubstep can be to make; but more critical people may not be so understanding... Starting with my criticisms, the dubstep is about the same volume as the instruments from before, it's supposed to blast out loud and stick out. If you use FL Studio you can just quickly increase the master volume of it with maximus, if you don't have it you probably still have something similar in whatever DAW you're using. If this is supposed to be a minimalistic dubstep song then ignore that criticism, it'll sound fine with just another synthesiser to fill in the gaps, bringing me to my next criticism. The hollowness. This is a common problem I've seen everyone have at least once, you got your speaking bass, your hard 'n' heavy drums, and... Nothing else... As cool as your bass may sound, even if it drags some attention away from it, you need something to fill in the gaps. I recommend one of 2 things: 1. A subtle but noticeable synth 2. A constant quieter bass wobble this can be hard to integrate into your piece without clashing or one taking too much attention, especially if you go for 2, but it can make or break a dubstep track.
Now enough negativity, I gave this a 4.5, not a 1. Time to say why.
I've already discussed the amazing atmosphere, the synths are so well-made and detuned in a perfected balance of diversity and tonality, and the violin is subtle; yet effective. I didn't even notice it until the 4th time I heard this, but it still had an effect on me the 1st 2nd and 3rd times I heard it. The speaking bass, while quiet, is also noticeably more detuned, but not to the point of atonality. You seem to be very good at using your detune wisely and the bass itself is unlike any dubstep bass I've ever heard before, it's kinda... Squelchy... Is the only way I can really describe it, I think it could be better, but it's unique as it is. A small thing I like is that this loops well, I've been listening to it on loop during this whole review, and I like how it both fades out at the beginning and fades in at the end creating an effect like an inverted swell. Finally the best part! 0:41 is absolutely perfect! The ethereal mood it creates, the smoothness of it, the perfect combination of reverb, release and echo on it is just phenomenal and I'd probably have to say the best synthesiser I have ever heard!
Rest In Pepperonis us in the UK