Single Review: Marufromflorida — Summer Death
Though it has its place, many genres of music are a pastiche of decades past, carrying a flame forever onward. Doom metal headbangers continue their pursuit for the perfect balance of Black Sabbath worship, while top-40 pop artists venture back to the ’80s — see The Weeknd’s dance-inducing synth hit Blinding Lights for reference.
But the electronic genre is ever-evolving and borrows influence from any and every style. Continually pushing the threshold, electronic artists incorporate dance, hip/hop, rap, and even hardcore into their wheelhouse of sounds.
Such is the case with south Florida’s Marufromflorida, an experimental solo project. Marufromflroida can not be classified by any one genre but instead blends lo-fi, shoegaze, and alternative electronic in a seamless way.
Marufromfloria’s catalog dates back to late 2020. It appears to be a passion project brought on by personal experiences and the harsh reality of the Coronavirus pandemic — that is one speculation, at least.
Earlier songs in Marufromflorida’s discography lean hard into the lo-fi territory. In the song Waves, the use of distant vocals, groovy basslines, and chorus-heavy acoustics create a melancholy feeling that washes over you. This gloomy atmosphere carries on in the follow-up release, I’m Done, which embraces modern emo-rap in conjunction with an electronic overtone.
However, their latest release, Summer Death, is a step in a new direction — a much more aggressive and bit-crushed approach. Clocking in at just under two minutes, Summer Death perfectly captures a feeling of Florida’s sweltering heat through sheer volume and hostility. In this track, Marufromflorida uses pounding drums and distorted vocals to create a much heavier and catchier vibe than found in previous releases.
By way of this evolution, Summer Heat goes into territory more akin to artists such as 1 800 Pain, who gained popularity for their maximalist approach to electronic music. Marufromflorida is a welcomed change of pace amongst their south Florida contemporaries, as the music is unique and overtly personal.
For those interested in Summer Death and other releases, Marufromflorida’s music is streaming on Spotify, Bandcamp, and Soundcloud.
FFO: 100 Gecs, 1 800 Pain, Machine Girl
