Song You Need: Objekt returns to the dancehall on “Bad Apples”
The German producer doesn’t disappoint with his first new music in four years.
Objekt. Photo by Kasia Zacharko
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As far as Objekt has an outlet for his most capital-D Dance tracks, his eponymous singles series is that. The German producer doesn’t shy away from body-high rhythms and sweat-inducing moments on his more experimental albums, but the Objekt singles feel like tractor beams in the arc of his musical development, bringing him back to the source.
“Bad Apples” is one of two new Objekt songs, his first new music since the 2018 album Cocoon Crush, released on “Objekt #5.” The new composition is a loving exploration of dancehall in the 21st century, a vital sonic movement that counts artists like The Bug, GAIKA, and Bambi as contributors. The riddim’s tone is one of unrelenting menace with lots of beautiful and intriguing flourishes: holodeck-worthy electronics swish and gurgle across the song approximating an alien learning to vocalize before everything cuts out; then, the bubbling bass guitar becomes a full-on butt rock blast fit for any mid-’90s action movie trailer.
By the time the synths begin their unrelenting series of anxious sparks, “Bad Apples” is close to verbalizing what’s been clear from the jump: this song is a live wire, and approaching it without care could leave you burned.
