Vince Bui and Hans Zimmer

Today I have some music for you which is done by an up and coming artist out of Atlanta named Vince Bui. This is a guy I happened to meet in Hong Kong and I was so impressed by this track that I felt the need to talk about it.

The original track which this one plays off is one of Drake's most popular tracks. When people hear the name "Drake" it is very likely that this is the track that comes to mind. And so many people have covered it- rock bands, underground pop artists, other rappers, and now our underground producer Vince Bui. What makes this track so different? Everything. Literally, everything. Let's start off with the musicality of this rework. Vince Bui has taken the original track and turned it into a slower, alternative R&B kind of jam. The rework is softer, gentler, and more vulnerable sounding than the original. Instead of going for something which has a lot of background noise, Vince Bui created an atmosphere that is ambient and has flow, but keeps it simple. This track is more about the vocals and lyrics, which leaves the soundscape smoother and subtle. Now I don't know how exactly Vince produced the track, but for the most part it feels like we get to hear airy synth notes, sometimes accompanied with a heart beat sounding thump of a drum pad and snapping. He strips the original song down and creates a supporting soundscape for the even more impressive part of the track- vocals and lyrics.

I feel like vocals are always a bit easier to talk about, so I am going to start there. Vince Bui has gorgeous vocals. And I mean, absolutely beautiful vocals. The first word that comes to mind when I hear his voice is "gentle." Vince's voice takes on a wonderfully sweet tempered sound to the point where it is almost intimate. It's like we get a more intimate look into his musical world, and are rewarded with tender vocals and charming melodies. There isn't a  moment when we hear more aggressive or loud vocals. And I will admit, I don't think Vince has powerhouse vocals. But he makes use of the fact that his voice can be light as a feather. It makes slower, more emotionally charged songs have more feeling and depth. And Vince successfully took a song that had little emotional depth and turned it into a track which elicits an interesting mix of feelings and moods. And that is the beauty of harnessing one's vocals!

Of course, an artist needs something to harness the vocals to, and in this case, it would be Vince's own lyrics. Because when you hear this track, you hear that not all of the lyrics are belong to Drake. In fact, many of the lyrics do not belong to Drake. And to me it feels like this is a song that is really about a break up. The entire beginning verse belongs to Vince and it is such a great way to start. He sets the stage so beautifully with the first line "things used to be so simple." This phrase alone tends to sum up so much sentiment, allowing us to really feel what the song is about. When listening to Drake's original version, I never really felt the sentiment and story behind the song. But with Vince's added lyrics, I genuinely feel that sad nostalgia associated with the song. It is a sadly sweet song with Vince's lyrics and production, and that is something we never hear from the original song. IT feels as though Vince has added so many subtle and beautiful layers to a seemingly empty song . This is a rework done properly and done extremely well.

Today's instrumental song is from the final of the Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. This is a track that isn't one of Hans Zimmer's dynamic or energetic pieces. This one takes on the role as one of Hans Zimmer's  famously moving and epic and intense pieces. Though there isn't a surge of power or sound in this track, there is an intensity and almost moving nature to the piece which cannot be ignored. Hans Zimmer, of course, is able to mesmerize us all once again. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!


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