Die Alone is a bold and innovative blend of Dance & EDM infused with the raw emotion of pop-punk and emo. Produced by Dяєαмƶ, this five-track collection—featuring Die Alone, Preservation, Used To, Rave Again, and True Crime, pt. 2—seamlessly fuses high-energy electronic beats with introspective lyrics and emotive melodies. This EP that dares to ask, “What if emo never died, but instead put on a leather jacket and crashed an underground rave?” as this project delivers a seamless fusion of throbbing EDM beats and the kind of deeply introspective, heart-on-sleeve lyricism that defined early 2000s emo. There’s a wondrous blend of what I can tell to be Lil Peep’s hazy, melancholic melodies, the late XXXTentacion’s raw, unfiltered emotional delivery and most especially, the moody, genre-blurring atmosphere of Hollywood’s Bleeding-era Post Malone. Friedrich$ stitches together all these elements into something that feels like the natural evolution of 2010s emo-trap—except now, instead of lo-fi beats to cry to, it’s euphoric buildups and bass drops to completely lose yourself in.
Honestly, with tracks like Preservation and Used To being such standout tracks, if I could have a heavy nitpick, it would be with that track as it reminds me too much of Jimmy Cooks on Drake’s house-rap attempt Honestly Nevermind, with the only really bold move that it does coming from rattling off all their musical favorites and puts himself at the end of the list, which is an undoubtable flex. It’s a cute way to end the project that I admittedly ended up wanting more out of given how great everything is on the project. There’s an irony to the name of this EP as these tracks are so well-crafted they make being alive feel like aspirations worth achieving.
The EP manages to balance themes of loneliness and resilience, channeling the emotional depth of early 2000s emo anthems through a modern electronic lens; notably The XX as 1/3 of the group is namechecked. Distorted guitars are paired against swirling synths, angsty vocals soar over deep, pulsating bass, which equals to a listening experience that hits like an emotional rollercoaster, for reasons I will mention later. Each track carries an electrifying energy, perfect for both reflective late-night listens and high-energy dance floors. Friedrich$ pushes creative boundaries, offering a fresh take on emotional storytelling within electronic music. It’s a compelling and heartfelt project that will resonate with fans of both alternative and dance music alike.
Friedrich$ is a pretty interesting figure, with influences that he wears pretty heavily on his sleeve, either through sonic homages or straight-up namechecking on tracks like True Crime, pt. 2 which kind of took me for a loop as I could not find the pt 1 this track is referencing to. (Sorry about that.)
If you haven’t already, step forward. Enter the world of Friedrich$. Just don’t expect to leave the same person you were when you hit play.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
