fter what feels like an eternity of waiting, the much anticipated collaboration between trap lord Illenium and bass god Excision has finally arrived. First hinted at two months ago, ‘Gold’ has finally been released, and boy, it’s been worth the wait.

I must admit, Illenium x Excision was never a collab I would have expected. Both have such different styles, with Illenium focusing on smooth, melodic trap beats, and Excision focusing on wonky, sub-woofer destroying bass, but this hasn’t stopped them putting together one of the most hyped tracks of the year. Combine these two incredible styles with the beautiful vocals of Shallows, and what’s the result? One of the best EDM songs of the year.

The opening mimics the typical Illenium style. Smooth vocals with an instrumental beat building up behind it. The song seems to be split into two separate styles, with a few elements of the other thrown into the mix on top. The song opens with the type of slowly accelerating beat that Illenium is renowned for, before hitting the first drop which illustrates the heavier side of the producers style. There’s no doubt the first drop belongs almost entirely to Illenium, with keen listeners able to detect some elements from Excision hidden away.

As soon as this is over, it’s clear the song has been taken over by Excision. The deep, resonating bass beats echoing through the song, rapidly accelerating in dramatic fashion until the drop hits. That satisfying dubstep ‘crunch’ sound just as the second drop hits, followed by a cacophony of aggressive sounds is beautifully executed, and is just oh so satisfying to listen to.

The two producers have managed to perfectly toe the gap that exists between trap and dubstep. Neither side dominates the other, and the vocals blaring over the top help bring a certain balance to the song. Whether it makes you want to sing, cry or headbang, ‘Gold’ has been absolutely nailed by the duo, and I very much hope to see some more unique collabs like this on Excision’s upcoming album.