Review: Decent at Best – ‘Retroactive Stimulation’

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In this day and age Hip Hop is virtually everywhere. It comes in various forms and is forever-growing in popularity. It’s on the radio, you hear it at parties; you hear it in clubs. So with the arrival of Decent At Best’s newest EP, Retroactive Stimulation, it seems like nothing out of the ordinary to hear it blasting away out of some college kid’s dorm room.

Retroactive Stimulation is unmistakably a hip hop EP, but could be thought of as more of a hybrid. It possesses all the fundamental elements of hip hop; infectious beats, hi-hat drills, colorful synths, and remarkable production. However, the album takes this and mixes it in with elements of funk, electronica, house and rap to pioneer into unexplored sonic territories.

These ‘flavors’ combined together work well to separate them from other acts out there such as notorious bedroom producers. On top of that, vocalist Andy Rupert wastes no time and effort laying it out throughout the EP. His charismatic and smooth vocal lines combined with the elaborate production that glazes the album truly makes them a formidable force.

His style balances out the Hip-Hop inspired beats with a heavy, complementary dose of R&B. It adds and presents a new energy to their unique sound, and suffices for potential rapping that could’ve taken place. Not to say that it should either, as there was some space within the EP just for it. Rappers Lyonz and Sean The Shaman found their niche on tracks “You (Paradise)” and “Sideways”, respectively. Features are often a cool aesthetic amongst albums and bodies of work, and they did well to add their own personal touch on the tracks.

It’s interesting to note that some of the stronger tracks on the EP are those with guest performances as well. Ironically, most of the time album favorites (especially in the Hip-Hop/Rap domain) are those that feature other artists.

So with that said, Retroactive Stimulation is something definitely worth checking out. It’s sure to have you singing Rupert’s catchy melodies and bumping along to the solid beats and production Engineer and producer Andrew Richards is surely fond of. Most importantly, if you’re not up to date with what college kids are listening to these days, this is surely your gateway in. With that said, the album is smooth, easy to listen to, and right-to-the-punch in the sense of delivery. Enjoy!

(Listen to Retroactive Stimulation via Soundcloud below and get more information about DAB at their website

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