Astralix, the brainchild of Gary Dranow and the Manic Emotions has only recently started releasing music and “Crazy World” is their fifth and latest single. Former athlete and musician Gary Dranow is credited as the composer and lyricist on this track that experiments with what one can call chill EDM. The project seems most keen on exploring electronic music production as suggested by the visual themes on the covers of their singles as well as their previous work.

The synths that emerge at the beginning of “Crazy World” reminds one of Pop music in the early 2000s that one could easily play at a beach. The second instrumental layer we experience is the percussion and claps which are kept simple throughout with very few variations. The high-pitched synth that runs in the background adds wind-like atmosphere and the keys in the pre-chorus section add hypnotizing elements to the track. The bridge containing only the high-pitched synth and bass keys “juxtaposed to each other was enjoyable and the electronic production in the last section of the song added much needed variation to the single. I thought that the back-up vocals in the pre-chorus and chorus  were layered interestingly and personally really appreciated the bass keys.

The keys in the post-chorus section felt slightly outside the chosen sonic palette in my opinion. I also wished there was more vocal variation though keeping vocals simple to let the otherwise heavy production shine is a creative choice I respect. Lyrically the track explores themes of letting go and having a good time which aptly fits the genre the single is trying to tap into. I think it can be important to refrain from looking at the words as superficial and instead frame them as a description of the cathartic experience of dancing together.

I appreciated the fact that the track maintains the same energy level throughout given the fact that so much of electronic production we experience currently revolve around experimenting with energy levels. Astralix with “Crazy World” remind us that electronic music can be soothing!