Elixir is a kerfuffle unlike anything you might have encountered before. The haywire and maze of sounds that are unveiled onto you by MDK FLA is overwhelming at times. It’s a frenzied juggernaut of electronic tunes garbed under a very targeted and liberal experimental approach. There isn’t a sense of consistency or direction that you can wait to expect after hearing ‘You Better Run’ though. As I initially opened the album to that absolute banger of an opener, I had one idea in mind as to where this record was going. Little did I know how different each following piece would be.
What’s so exciting about Elixir is its willingness to break the boundaries, to seek sounds outside of any semblance of confines. On ‘Triple Threat’, there’s a much more targeted and conventional progression, a building beat and a soothing vocal performance that ascends and descends into a sumptuous breakdown that feels entirely cathartic. Other songs like ‘Beacon’ feel much more like a conventional contemporary pop tune, a seamless and easy to listen song driven by alluring vocals and moody melodies. But I find myself in love with tunes like ‘Sell Out’, the more obscure and confounding pieces of hyper-pop & hip-hop inspired electronic breakbeat tunes that completely shatter your expectations with each passing second.
All in all, ‘Elixir’ is a concoction to lust after. It’s a truly remarkable piece of experimental electronic music that defies convention and structure in favour of a more playlist oriented approach. It’s like an assortment of so many different and distinct things, a collection that leaves room for any individual to pick out a few that they enjoy but also for those who enjoy consistent shifts in energy and vibe to move seamlessly from one track to another.