Enter The Gungeon: Heart in Halves EP by doseone
Enter The Gungeon: Heart in Halves EP by doseone pressed on black vinyl by Laced Records & Devolver Digital
ENTER the GUNGEON
Dodge roll your way into this week with Enter the Gungeon: Heart in Halves EP by doseone. Pressed on black vinyl and limited to 1,000 copies, this epic collaboration album from Laced Records and Devolver Digital is here to blast you away with a slug of trippy and catchy hip-hop beats. As a vinyl exclusive lyrical exploration of the Enter the Gungeon soundtrack, what doseone has done here is absolutely mesmerizing. Calibrate your sights and fill up on ammo because this is one release that you do not want to miss.
LEAN ON A VILLAIN
doseone (Adam Drucker) is a rapper, producer, poet, and artist based out of Oakland, California. As a prominent member of the hip-hop scene, doseone has built a household name for himself as one of the best in the business. As co-founder of the indie label Anticon, doseone has helped assemble a platform in which a community of like-minded artists can share their passions with the world. As a composer for video game soundtracks, doseone has helped score and remix some of the best albums in the industry. Enter the Gungeon is without a doubt the album that turned me on to his unique and energetic compositional style and remains one of my favorite indie game soundtracks of all time. Not only is this EP a testament to doseone’s career as a musician, but it is also an awesome addition to the wonderful work he did for Dodge Roll's rogue-lite indie gem and a fun one at that.
DEEP IN REAP
This release is so unique. Featuring tracks from the original Enter the Gungeon soundtrack, what doseone has done here helps bridge the gap between his roots as a hip-hop producer and polymerize it with his love of games. With iconic beats and synth-filled trip-hop snare beats rattling off like a machine gun, doseone takes up the mic and works his polyrhythmic lyrical magic here. The clever and iconic journey he takes you on as this album spins along will have you dodging baddies every step of the way. The clean and heavy bass will send you to the depths of this casing littered dungeon and back with each and every revolution of this shiny black disc. Like a chamber emptying it's rounds, doseone surrounds you in the symphony of his own design, using your ears for target practice. Relentless -- from the moment it starts spinning you’re thrust into an all-out barrage of beats that won't let go until the trench of the runout groove surrounds you. This is one album you'll have to pry off your table when it's done!
FIRE WITHIN FIGHT
As an experience, this album has quite a bit to offer for new and old fans of Enter the Gungeon's music. Comprised of the lyrical explorations on one side, and the instrumentals of Side A on the flip, you'll have plenty to choose from for whatever listening session you feel like. Having the ability to hear the music composed here isolated from the clever musings of doseone's rhythmic incantations leaves this release feeling like there's a little bit here for everyone to enjoy. If you aren't really a fan of hip-hop/rapping don't be dissuaded by what this album has to offer, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what it does to you sonically, I know I was.
HEART IN HALVES
Laced Records are a staple within the video game soundtrack industry, and their collaboration with Devolver Digital & Dodge Roll Games on this album is one of their most unique releases to date. Coming as a surprise for many of us back in 2016, this album completely floored me when it came out. While the price tag may have been a bit steep for people to swallow at $40, what was presented here is nothing short of a love letter to fans of Enter the Gungeon and of doseone’s musical stylings. Coming with a download card for the full game I can see the price being adequate for what was offered. Housed inside a sleek black jacket featuring the game's logo and the album name in bright pink lettering, you have a design that quite literally pops off the sleeve. The backside of this release is truly breathtaking, featuring stylized characters and enemies from the game, it absolutely steals the show here. There's just so much detail packed into this illustration that I couldn't help but pour over it, aside from the music it's definitely the highlight for me. Speaking of the music, the mastering here is impeccable. Carried out by MK at Optimal Media GmbH the grooves of doseone's intricate beats are exemplified wonderfully. The bass is punchy, the lyrical components are crystal clear, and overall it just sounds amazing. While being a bit obscure, and non-traditional as video game music vinyl is concerned, this is definitely a must have record!
Album Details
Music by:
doseone
Remastered for vinyl by:
MK
Artwork by:
Devolver Digital
Vinyl produced & distributed by:
Laced Records & Devolver Digital
Where to buy?
Unfortunately, this album has sold out from both Laced Records & Devolver Digital's online stores. Released in 2016 and limited to 1,000 copies, this album stuck around a bit before being completely gone. I'm sure copies can still be found floating around the secondary market and in my opinion, is well worth picking up. As this album is exclusive to this vinyl release a digital version is non-existent, so if you're a fan of doseone or Enter The Gungeon this is a must-own! Hopefully Laced and Devolver will team up again to bring this album back to vinyl. I for one would love to see this album get even more love, and I must say, an LP in the same color as that bright pink lettering on the cover would look very, very nice!