Chris Avantgarde – Freedom [June 29 – Size Records]

by JP Hadley · June 17, 2015

The typical Size Records track seems to have lost some of its uniqueness when compared to releases pumped out by other labels. Enter Chris Avantgarde, and his track “Freedom,” with a breath of fresh air for the label run by former Swedish House Mafia member Steve Angello. “Freedom” has been a secret weapon for Angello, used sparingly, but at venues like the Ultra Music Festival mainstage and Echostage in Washington, D.C. This marks the debut release for Chris Avantgarde on the Size Records imprint, but his track together with Wayne & Woods was a big hit with Steve Angello and many of the other higher-ups at the label. “Freedom” will drop on June 29.

Now, I don’t mean any criticism of Size Records for the past couple of tunes that they put out, but the sound got a bit repetitive. Groove is a good sound, but the progressive theme of “Freedom” certainly breaks the mold. The breakdown starts with an uncredited female vocal laid over an incredibly energetic percussion sequence. As the vocal draws to a close, the last phrase is barely finished before progressive rave chords like those on “SLVR” take over the soundscape. The song continues on, but do not plan on escaping those chords: they stay strong through the duration of the melody and are the driving force behind a wonderful drop from Chris Avantgarde.