Cheatcode – Phantasmagoria

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With a name like Phantasmagoria, I had to approach this EP with the crystal clear mindset to fully digest the short body of work. At eight tracks deep, Cheatcode brings his entire sonic arsenal to the forefront, meshing vocal samples with dark broody instrumentations (those keys are deadly) and thick rumbling drums. You never know what to expect as each track transports the listener to different planes at the blink of an eye. Hip Hop and EDM (If I may use that word) have been fused together before but Cheatcode sure brings something new to the table with this project; so many perspectives, changes and flips that locks the listener from start to finish.

My favorite cuts include: Dead President, All I Know, The Triz and Like All Good Things.

This is something far from the norm but musically fresh!!

Between the surreal sounds and slick sample chops from MA’s very own Cheatcode, it’s impossible to dismiss this ambitious project as one that captures a sense of Phantasmagoria. Defined as a confusing scene akin to a movie due to it’s odd, ever-changing nature, it’s the best way to capture the shifting, bass heavy sounds that this FreEP conjures up. With tracks like the piano dominant, nightmare inducing “All I Know,” to the triumphant “Dead President,” which builds upon a now famous JFK speech laced with quotables from The Notorious B.I.G, Cheatcode is able to record the soundtrack to his dreams, and express them freely for our enjoyment.

“My vision for this album was to tap back into my Hip-Hop roots while applying what I’ve learned from producing Bass music over the past few years, ” states Cheatcode. With the sparse samples that can be found on this EP, the talented producer has the uncanny to pick apart samples and use them in the most unconventional way possible. As the Massachusetts-based beatsmith lures you into his dynamic world full of bass heavy sounds and slamming snares, remember that most dreams are worth reliving again and again. Phantasmagoria is now available for free download.

Tracklist:
1. “Lucky Break” (feat. Michael Crowe)
2. “All I Know” (Album Version) [feat. Deejay Theory]
3. “Honeycode” (feat. Honeycomb)
4. “The Triz”
5. “Dead President”
6. “Gangsta” (feat. DJ N.E.B. & Hugh Currier)
7. “Like All Good Things” (feat. Tim Horton)
8. “Phantasmagoria”

*All tracks produced entirely by CHEATCODE, with the exception of track 2, which was co-produced by Voltran, and track 5, which was co-produced by Spamkey.