Fun without being juvenile, shameless without being overwhelmingly so, D NOVA’s debut EP Life Is My Video Game showcases the artist’s enormous talent. The title is perfectly suited, with the EP’s blend of autotune, old-style arcade sound effects, and a thumping bassline that never quits or gets too ambitious – all wrapped up in Adam Levine-esque vocals that, while not flawless, is flawlessly appropriate.
While only four minutes long, the EP is so richly crafted that you feel an incredible satisfaction. Opener ‘Needless‘ doesn’t ease you into the EP, choosing to start strong and burst like a Starburst, if it came in the flavor “exciting.” High-pitched electro-riffs mate with what is the very foundation of clubbing music, birthing a track destined to have you A) screaming and B) jumping. Of the four tracks, ‘Needless‘ has the most hit potential (along with sassy ‘Genius-Crazy‘, but that’s later).
‘Life Is My Videogame’, the title track, has an air of earnestness that gives it an endearing twist on the cool-gamers-go-clubbing (that could be the name of D Nova’s genre) feel of the track. It doesn’t bow down under the pressure of ‘Needless‘, opting to be just as pleasantly impossible to ignore. If these two had a dance battle, it’d be a tie, with ‘Needless‘ being the queen of the scene and ‘Life Is My Videogame‘ as the newcomer from a small town who just really, really loves to dance.
‘The Run‘ brings to mind LMFAO — while whether this is a good thing or not is debatable, it’s undeniable that this track stands out for being different from the others. Less videogame-y, more partying in Miami. While inoffensive, if your tastes lean toward the first two tracks, this one will be slightly disappointing.
‘Genius-Crazy‘ is delightfully digital, and a return to the aspirations of the first track, albeit with (even) more confidence. Everything drops, bangs, and teases at just the right time, creating a track truly delicious to writhe to. It struts, it blows kisses, it shows you how surprisingly it is to get sick of what is a similar sound when it comes to this EP.
After this EP, it’s only natural to salivate over when another track will be released. Although short, it packs a punch — and one can only imagine the amount of vision necessary to create something so un-tiresome. The waves D NOVA caused may be underwhelming so far, but with only a push here, a promotion there, he’ll definitely be the next big King of Party Music.
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