A Review of Nostalgix’s Confident and Self-Assured ‘Star City EP’

The latest EP from Vancouver-based producer Nostalgix is a FIERY production that is plated in confidence, swagger, and battle-ready rhythm. Chunky house beats collide with hip hop and other EDM influences in this great collection of songs.

“War,” a collaboration with rapper Rico Nasty, is a perfect introduction to the patented Nostalgix vibe. The song is empowering and is ready to provoke anyone who messes with you. “War” begins with a very tropical introduction, leading us into paradise before promptly pummeling us to the ground. A genius move. Gix and Rico swap verses over a beefy house beat that is inter-spliced with thick percussion, cool ad-libs, and addictive melodies. “GO AGAINST ME THAT’S WAR!” Gix’s self-assuredness is fully present here and is one of her greatest strengths, in addition to her amazing music production skills. One of my favorite ad-libs is present throughout: the classic Nostalgix laugh. Even her laugh exudes confidence and self-assuredness. What an artist! Little production choices like these add Gix’s personality straight into the music. This song is perfect for the car, gym, running, or any sort of athletic, fast-paced activity. In “War” Gix rightly declares that she is “going to take over the world.” If you ask me, her world domination plot has already begun. Double-crossers BEWARE.

“Lockdown,” a joint effort with Scrufizzer, perfectly meshes aspects of Drum and Bass with Nostalgix’s unique brand of House. Scrufizzer raps using a DnB style cadence and flow with a heavy House beat backing him. “Touchdown, shutdown we got the place on lockdown!” The vibes are incredible on this track, with lyrics detailing the upbeat and positive nature of the EDM Scene as a whole. I especially love how the song twists the concept of being held in “lockdown” by the beat into a positive one. House snares and subtle melodies bounce away as Scrufizzer continues his immaculate flow. As the track builds to the drop, an ominous alarm-like rhythm gears us up for the inevitable fist-bumping that is sure to commence. Gix leaves her vocal imprint on the track through ad-libs, laughter, and chilling whispers that come in before, during, and after the drop. The drop is expansive and features massive bass, reverberating alarms, and SNARES. Afterwards, We are swung right back into the verses without a second’s hesitation. What a perfect transition. This song is excellent on the production side of things. A perfect evolution in Nostalgix’s sound. Nicely done!

The third song on the Star City EP is “Need You,” another song that perfectly captures the independent and empowering spirit that drives Nostalgix to be exceptional. “Need You” has BIG energy that would not be out of place at a major professional sporting event or other celebratory event. The song starts out with a HUGE fight song-esque blast of sound that calls all House-heads to the dance floor IMMEDIATELY. A subtle bassline can be heard as Gix begins to gather the troops. “I don’t need you no more” can be heard repeated as more song elements are added, such as glistening synth patterns and iPhone cell phone notifications, which fit in PERFECTLY. These details help make listening to Nostalgix a fun experience in which you are always discovering something new in songs that you have heard multiple times before. A record scratch leads us into the first groovy drop. The record scratches, laughter, and iPhone dings can still be heard throughout the drop as Gix holds an iron grip on our attention. After the drop, we are treated to a couple of breakdowns that change up the rhythm and tempo of the song. Nostalgix is a master at subverting our expectations.

The next song on the EP “Demons (featuring Southside Diddy)” is perhaps the most GRIMEY of the bunch. I found myself scrunching my bassface especially hard throughout the course of this one. Well done! After a gritty intro, Southside Diddy takes the reins and starts us off with rapping incredible lines such as “How can I win if I stop?” and “act like a demon, I’m hot.” Gix matches this energy with her own “How can I win if I stop?” inquiries as the two naturally play off of each others confidence, energy, and self-assurance. Notstalgix bridges the first verse and first drop with her own rapping and ad-libs. This drop is HEAVY and sure to bring out the head banging and finger guns. “I ACT LIKE A DEMON!” Dark bass is perfectly layered over subtle House snares, making this song a perfect candidate for both shuffling AND head banging. The first drop is followed by a swift transition into the second Southside Diddy verse, which is arguably better than the first. Classic lines such as “How many models you got? Baby I came with a lot!” and “cold switch, so I’m bipolar” make this song very memorable in my eyes. This verse has especially loud snares present in the background as we are lead into the final drop. This drop has a much more glitchy feel to it than the previous drop. The song then fades out as it draws to a close. Incredible.

Last but not least on this EP is the track “Real Girls (feat. Dev).” This one is the “brightest” sounding on the album while still retaining Gix’s distinct edge and confidence. Also, this one is DEFINITELY for the girls. Nostalgix refers to herself as a “new sensation” which could not be more of an accurate statement. In this one, GIX’s verses are layered over clap effects that gradually speed up as the song continues to flow. “Real girls, work it out, on the floor, make it bounce. Real girls get DOWN!” Chants Nostalgix over a futuristic beat drop that feels similar to driving a convertible with the top down through a digital, vaporwave world. NICE. This is the most melodic song on the EP so far and still defies expectations, like any Nostalgix song should. The second drop sounds vastly different from the previous one and takes on a bit more of a techno-based sound, with harder hitting bass and percussion that seem to be about an octave or so lower than before.

I absolutely LOVE this EP. It is a great evolution in Gix’s sound and plays to all of her strengths, while introducing new elements to her ever-expanding musical palate. The lightning-powered Nostalgix on the cover is a great representation of the EP’s themes of confidence, empowerment, assertiveness, and self-assuranceI enjoyed every song on this EP, but find myself revisiting “Need You” the most of the five. It is incredibly catchy with lots of great hidden easter eggs for the listener to find. Nostalgix is an incredibly talented producer and performer that definitely knows her worth. Gix is 1000% herself here and shows no signs of slowing down. Catch her TONIGHT, February 16th, at Uptown Funk in Albuquerque, NM or Saturday, March 9th, 2024 at Sunbar in Tempe, AZ. Come join in the fun!

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