Bridges Between - Au5

The tsunamic force that is Au5 strikes again in 2023 with his melodic dubstep record "Bridges Between", released on Ophelia Records.

With over a decade of experience in the game, Au5 has proved his worth time and time again, and he executes this record like he's done it a thousand times before—because, well, he has. One of the most well-respected producers in dubstep to this day (and deservedly so), Au5's brand of melodic dubstep has always been slightly underground-feeling, and yet it's entirely recognisable: utterly pristine, to put it simply, reinforced by brilliant sound design—some of the best at the forefront of the industry—and brilliant songwriting. "Bridges Between" is no different, but it adds a little extra food for thought. You've still got your cookiecutter Au5 melodic production and accompanying brostep growls, but now with the added element of the more commercial side of melodic dubstep. It's an interesting fusion, perhaps not the most creative, yet unique enough to feel refreshing, particularly in the context of a melodic dubstep industry that is slowly growing stale. The vocalists are great as well—I'd say they fit this commercial-leaning style just that bit better than the harder-hitting style previous records like "Divinorum" went for—and Au5 throws in a few instrumentals for good measure, like the 5-minute-long trance opener "Entrance" or the dark "Resurrection". Both sides of the coin, commercial and hard-hitting, are equally good, and Au5 has continued, and probably will continue, to demonstrate to the world that even commercial melodic dubstep could be so much more than just the same sound repeating for every drop, every track—"Bridges Between" proves otherwise, and it does so in typical Au5 fashion. What it also does in typical Au5 fashion, however, is that it struggles to exist within itself as an album. 

"Divinorum" had this problem too, but "Bridges Between" takes a bigger blow from it. Yes, Au5 does include an "Entrance" and "Escape", but it's not enough, and the project feels largely disjointed and spontaneous. Whilst the 'bridge between' commercial and hard-hitting is (mostly) everpresent, it doesn't control the mood, nor the theme of the record, and Au5 once again fails to deliver a well-structured full-length LP, even if he's—as always—got his production and songwriting on point. And still, "Bridges Between" is further dragged down by being a little unengaging and/or thematically repetitive in places.