July 22 was an incredible day for EP releases. With two major releases on Mad Decent from trap gods Yellow Claw and the totally turnt up EP from Gent & Jawns (yeah, I said turnt up because it’s really the only way to describe it), we as fans of good music had a lot of tasty shit on our plate that day. BUT, there’s one EP that took the cake for me this week.
2014 has already been a super dope year for Valentino Khan. And rightfully so! His touring schedule is constantly off the hook, and the more he gets noticed as a prolific dj/producer, the more his name is included on lineups of bigger shows and festivals, including the infamous Holy Ship tour. His previous touring dates have included sharing the stage with a shit ton of big players in the scene, including AC Slater, Diplo, Bro Safari, and Skrillex just to name a few.
It’s probably why Valentino Khan has been so successful, but he seems to take away something valuable from each artist he tours with and leaves a great artistic impression on his mentors he’s worked with; so it’s not surprising that Valentino Khan has joined Skrillex’s label OWSLA after a seemingly organic bond with Skrillex. And let’s face it…. Skrillex knows great music which is why OWSLA has such a dope roster. Each artist signed to the label knows what they want musically and Valentino Khan has found a good home with the label.
With the endless list of impressive remixes, collaborations, and original productions from Valentino Khan, it was only a matter of time until he released an EP. And just like everything this man has created, In Khan We Trust is nothing short of miraculous. The six track long EP includes pretty much everything you want in a Valentino Khan creation. His passion for his art is evident in this EP; each track coincides with one another to tell a story. They each are so strong and chocked full pure energy and creativity that each song can stand on its own as well. What impresses me the most about In Khan We Trust is that this lil gem took a ton of normally contradicting genres, sewed them together like a musical blanket, and gave his own spin on each of them. And they all are flawlessly translated into works of art that have the Valentino Khan golden stamp of great on them.
In Khan We Trust begins with a beautiful, melodic BANG. “A Little Longer” includes beautiful female vocals and its enchanting melody seamlessly leads up to a super addictive and one of a kind Valentino Khan drop that will shake you to the core. What seems like it would be out of Khan’s stylistic traits makes this track a perfect opener for this masterpiece of an EP and I think it should be heard at every major festival this year. The next track featuring DJ Kool is named “Make Some Noise”. This tune is easily my favorite of the whole EP. It’s just classically Valentino Khan…. it’s wild, untamed, and sounds like a middle Eastern melody on acid in the best way possible. Towards the end, the track jumps to a half time beat giving the listener the impression that Valentino just went there and did a trap remix within the song. It’s so tight I can’t stand it!
“Rock It” also features DJ Kool and seriously makes you wanna rock it. This track is ROUGH as hell…. to me it’s extremely reminiscent of older stuff from The Bloody Beetroots. I’d bet on it that if you were to hear “Rock It” in a set, this tune would have every single person in the crowd jumping. Like, you’re pretty much dead if this song doesn’t make you at least want to jump. To continue with the seamless transitions Valentino wanted in this EP, what follows “Rock It” is a short and simple interlude called “Haunted”. Obviously, with this being an interlude, it is the shortest song on IKWT. However, this was my proudest moment as a fan when I heard this. It’s just completely breath taking shit. Like, this interlude is straight out of a super intellectual indie film score. Appropriately named, “Haunted” begins with a melancholy but determined piano melody which eventually leads to a grandiose orchestral climax. The kicker for me in this interlude is the ghoulish choir melody that creeps in and are without a doubt, the make it point of the interlude of the song. It’s such a subtle but strong addition to the interlude that it’s pretty much been stuck in my head since I’ve heard it.
After we get a little bit of an aural break with “Haunted”, Khan brings back the energy with his fifth song of IKWT called “Bloodsucker”. I heard this track and was like, “Omg lol”. I love when producers know their sound so well that they can really take any genre of music and just make it fucking dope. Valentino Khan created what sounds like video game music. So you’re sitting here, and you’re like, “Ok I feel like I should have a controller in my hand and be in a haunted castle fighting off ghosts and shit.” But then, almost out of nowhere, Valentino Khan is like, “Just kiddin’, listen to this though because you’re about to get aurally beat” and turns this shit into a CRAZY hardstyle track that gives the listener shaken EDM fan syndrome. Video games and hardstyle are just… totally unrelated, but that’s the ingenuity of VK at it again. There is literally nothing that he can’t do as a producer.
The sixth and final tune that rounds out In Khan We Trust is “Let’s Get Baptized”. It’s certainly a wind down from “Bloodsuckers” and contains hints of influences of progressive house. It’s fun, it flows, and it’s easy to just bop your head to… plus it’s this weird synth theremin like melody (pretty much the coolest instrument in the world) that ties in with this ghoulish theme that we found in the last few tracks off of the EP.
In Khan We Trust is innovative, original, unique, and is a true homage to Khan’s fans who have supported him from the beginning. In his live stream and Q & A last week, he mentioned multiple times how thankful he is for each and every one of us; and this EP just shows how much love he has for his passion and the people who appreciate his music. It’s truly a work of art from start to finish and contains something for everyone’s musical taste. You can stream the EP below, but if you’re like me, you wanna be able to bump this anywhere you go, so do yourself a favor and please go and buy this on iTunes!
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