Dabin Delves into Emotional Depths on Fourth Album, ‘Aura Park’

13 hours ago 7

Aura Park offers up the sort of fare for which Dabin has made a name for himself: accessible, expansive, and unyieldingly melodic.

Nearly a decade has passed since the heyday of melodic bass, but pressures to chase trends haven’t steered Dabin off course. The Toronto DJ and producer has proven as much in Aura Park, his fourth studio album out now by way of Kannibalen Records.

Fans of Dabin will surely delight in the 13-song package that is Aura Park. Tracks like “Constellation” featuring FRND, “Deepest Water” featuring Syd Taylor, and “Worlds Away” featuring Trella see him revisit the euphoric singalong style that has earned him bookings at on some of the world’s biggest stages.

But that’s not all the album offers. “Won’t Be The Same” sees him put his effervescent spin on the melodic style of breakbeat popularized by artists like Fred Again and Frankie Wah. “Nothing At All” featuring Grabbitz tickles the cortexes by dancing between the major and minor scales. It’s clearly not lost on Dabin that post-pandemic dancefloors crave a wider sonic variety.

At the same time, Aura Park stands testament that Dabin has continued to push the limits of his distinct sound signature. The howling, fricative textures that have become his calling card abound throughout the tracklist, proving that he’s continued to hone his granular synthesis skills. The album also credits an impressive slate of collaborators, with co-signs by Said The Sky, Blanke, and Kannibalen boss Kai Wachi proving that plenty of artists recognize the merit of his creative path.

So, then, why should Dabin feel pressured to venture outside of melodic bass? Aura Park is as good a sign as any that he’s exactly where he needs to be.

Listen to Aura Park on Spotify or your preferred platform, and follow Dabin on social media to see where his journey takes him next.