Anthos* “Echo” brings a bit of a futuristic, deep EDM sound and vibe that is executed almost to perfection. This is a fun entry in the ongoing “Human or Doll” CD series.
Anthos* features vocals by Kent Ito, Wataru Komada, Toshiki Masuda, Shunichi Toki, Daiki Hamano, Seiichiro Yamashita, and Shun Horie.
Review
Title: Human or Doll: Echo
Label: AIЯRIDE RECORDS. / Movic
Release date: 13/06/2025
Genre: Dance/Trap
Tracklist:
1 - Project Archive: A 4-11
2 - Project Archive: A 4-12
3 - Project Archive: A 4-13
4 - Project Archive: A 4-14
5 - Project Archive: A 4-15
6 - Endless Howl
7 - Past
Track by track analysis:
6 – Endless howl
“Endless Howl” goes deep on the deep synths, bringing a dangerous yet slightly alluring sound that will instantly take you to the dancefloor.
The pre-chorus for this song is unbelievably good, with a downtempo beat leading the way with atmospheric synths and washy synths building up the tension as the falsetto vocals by all members will give you goosebumps all over.
The verses are intense, with a deep, distorted synth stab setting the tempo alongside the main bassy beat and hi-hat combo.
For fans of big EDM – heavy on the synths and with a slow tempo – this song is massive!
The vocals are a treat. There are plenty of accented parts with all the members performing in unison, the build up to the chorus has a beautiful falsetto touch that had me begging for me, and served as the perfect build up to the powerful dance sound that awaits you in the chorus.
This song will have you both dance hard to it as you’ll be gasping at the quality of the vocals. This is such a fancy EDM tune that had me searching for that repeat button.
7 – Past
And wrapping up this release, we have “Past”. This song shifts things around slightly, bringing a sound that is all about its dreamy vibe, deeper with atmospheric synths setting the tone with an eerie undertone.
Slowly, the song welcomes a slow-paced clap track and simple bassline as the vocals join in an emotional performance.
Things change slightly with an urgent tone being brought to the spotlight through trap orchestral hits echoing in the soundscape, and the percussion tightening considerably.
The chorus is so brief and yet so unique —within Anthos*’s repertoire—that I felt we needed more of that. We do have that in the bridge, leading to the final chorus, which I was not expecting.
Solid performance in a song that will subvert your expectations quite a few times.
Final considerations
Anthos*’s “Echo” is yet another fun listen, deeply rooted in a powerful EDM sound in which synths are incredibly heavy, distorted, and deep, and vocals retain that ethereal, dreamy vibe we all love about this group.
This is, quite possibly, the first single of theirs in which I prefer the leading track more than the B-side, which came as a surprise.
While “Past” is a genuinely entertaining song, I feel nothing really goes on in there, and the soundscape is more about vibes and having that deep dancefloor sound than focusing on the vocals. This is slightly different from the approach this group has of having their vocals front and center at all times, so maybe that’s a reason why I feel that this song came up short for me, even if thoroughly entertaining by the end of the day.
“Endless Howl” was more aggressive and intense than I was expecting, but it still carries over that tension and power that you could find in “Species”. I was all over this song due to its impressive chorus, but overall, the song is perfect from start to finish.
All in all, “Echo” brings a bit of a futuristic, deep EDM sound and vibe that is executed almost to perfection. Filled with dance tunes that will make you hit the dancefloor and vocals that will give you goosebumps all over (and the occasional gasp when they go off), this is a fun entry in the ongoing “Human or Doll” CD series.
“Human or Doll: Echo” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
