After a busy couple of months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Illenium is steadily starting to release major projects. Most recent on the docket is a package of his Ascend Tour edits this week. Check out the four tracks below:
Ascend tour edits round out other recent releases
Illenium, real name Nick Miller, first gifted fans with the long-awaited Excision collaboration in early April. Feel Something with I Prevail first debuted at their Lost Lands 2019 B2B. Then Miller dropped a monster 24-track LP remix album to his third studio album ASCEND last month. Hailed producers Snakehips, Whipped Cream, Blanke, and Blastoyz jumped on the project offering different takes. Instantly revered from top to bottom, ASCEND reached immense popularity after its August 2019 release and the highlighted array of remixes demonstrates exactly that.
Edits evoke our inner “sadboi” in intense live set style
The four Ascend Tour edits include support from past collaborators Blanke and 1788-L, and three of the four are mashups of Ascend tracks. In contrast to the slower, “sadboi” tracks his brand is built off of, the tour edits often reflect the harder style of his live performances.
However, Good Things Fall Apart vs Sad Songs mimics another element to his live performances—his ability to somehow pack even more grandiose emotion into his tracks. This is a perfect representation of that with an ardor that tracks clearly outside of the live set context.
Gorgeous vs All Together stands out as the compound of both of these elements. Featuring Blanke, OEKIIN, and Bipolar Sunshine, Illenium spins together two rigorous drops crammed into 1 minute and 45 seconds. He posits an intensity backed against emotional value to illuminate the best sounds of both into one track.
What’s next for the DMNW favorite?
Miller hasn’t performed live streams in contradiction to countless other artists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the new standard of performing seems to be live streaming festivals Illenium forges an alternate path. The melodic bass figurehead goes above and beyond to release new music and shine a spotlight on other artists. With a rumored fourth installment of his Ashes to Ashes mix series on the way, there may be something else to anticipate.
Without a concrete social distancing termination date it’s unclear when Illenium will tour again. After we caught the ASCEND tour and throwback set in the Pacific Northwest (and in OKC when we couldn’t wait) it’s safe to say we’ve been longing for some Illenium in our lives. The Ascend tour edits round out the latest releases post-remix album and single. In a shared sentiment, Miller certainly hasn’t disappointed.
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