Muskoka, Ontario, Canada-based producer District Lost is back with another project to close out 2024. The city-themed project entitled Boom Town Beats is an 8-track body-of-work that blends retro jazzy samples with cinematic sound design, atmospheric textures and punchy drum grooves. The overall ambiance encapsulates and personifies the concept of the living, breathing city.

“Laid Back” is the first record which set things in motion with its rivetting sample chops and punchy boom-bap drums. The layered samples have a warm and scenic vibe that transports listeners into the vast space that constitutes the city. The track underscores the bustling element of the city and opens the floodgates for the rest of the project. This is followed by “Metro (Ooh Ooh)” with its solemn and somewhat brooding aura. The drums here are hushed and soft, while the prevalent element is the pitched-up vocal chops and eerie strings layered with pulsating basslines. The result is somewhat relaxing and reflective all at once. Next is the aptly titled “Dream State,” which starts with a plucky dream-like sequence sound before the beat drops. The bassline and airy key discordant texture add a psychedelic element to the track, and the choice of hushed drums allows the dreamy element to stand out. “Rhode To Nowhere” is a cleverly titled track that employs choppy drums reminiscent of J Dilla. The woozy sample chop and plucky synths play off each other to give a playful and somewhat carefree vibe.

The second half of the project begins with the solemn vibe of “No Second Chances,” a mellow beat reminiscent of the 90s underground instrumental tapes. The beat emphasizes thick bass lines, atmospheric sounds and scenic pads that allude to the non-stop movement of life in the city, at least that is the feeling I derive from listening to it. “Let’s Get It” has a more gritty and dark aesthetic and leans toward the dark side of town. It sounds like a scene from a noir thriller flick with a dash of horror vibes. The downtempo drums and staggered sample chops add a spine-tingling crunch to the overall vibe and leave audiences right in the middle of the action. “Broken Satellites” sounds like the feeling of surviving the daily hustle as well as looking forward to a brighter tomorrow. The samples have a reflective and hopeful element and the weird pulsating synths add an off-kilter vibe to it as well. The final track “The City Is Alive” has a triumphant feel courtesy of the horn passes and off-beat drums. The title is underscored by the richness of the instrumentation and slowly-paced arrangement as well.

Overall, Boom Town Beats is cohesive and straight to the point with its manner of approach and level of detail. The sample chops just fit right in the pocket and provide the right ambiance to imitate what the city sounds like.

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