Dillon Francis is an anomaly. He makes incredible dance tracks, knows how to market and present himself to an audience, whether its with his stage presence, show visuals, album artwork and songs, but he seems like the most joking, carefree musician you could ever find in the world of electronic music. This plays off incredibly well on his return to the moombahton, even if only for a brief moment, on This Mixtape Is Fire.
This Mixtape Is Fire is a seven-song EP that finds Francis collaborating with artists all over the map of the electronic world. There are fierce moments (his collaborations with Skrillex and Calvin Harris) mixed with the not-so-fierce-but-rather-tropical (his collaborations with Kygo and Chromeo).
One of the most intriguing aspects of this EP is the structuring. It starts of with "Bruk Bruk", one of the most intense tracks I've heard thus far in Francis' discography, followed by the equally powerful "What's Your Name" (the Calvin Harris collaboration). "Bun Up The Dance" (Skrillex) and "Pull It" (Bro Safari) keep the intensity going, but brings it up a notch. The song with Kygo entitled "Coming Over", which features guest vocals by James Hersey, brings the tone down significantly, while still retaining some of the energy in the drops heard throughout the chorus.
"Lies" is the calmest track on the record, bringing the original material on the EP to an end. I liked the start off intense, get crazy, then slow it back down approach that was taken when structuring the track list. It didn't give too much of anything, and allowed room to breathe.
The bonus track is a remix of "I Can't Take It", a track from Francis' debut album Money Sucks, Friends Rule that hit stores last year. The song was remixed by up-and-coming DJ Party Favor, bringing the entire "mixtape" to a close with his signature style of trap. The last track also features a brief appearance from Francis' deep-house alter-ego, DJ Hanzel. The little sound clip at the beginning goes back to what I was saying at the start: it showcases his ability to create insane, memorable dance tracks, yet not take himself to seriously in the process.
Whether Dillon Francis will permanently go back to moombahton is unknown. He's an artist, and artists create what they want, whether we like it or not. But one thing is certain, and it's that This Mixtape Is Fire was a damn fun ride.
This has been another Shameless Promotion.