I feel that Escape has the strong upperhand versus Phynn’s later, and similar, release Lucid on several counts. One being the number of melodic and harder elements that are present. The bassline is grinding, making it consistently dark and intense sounding, and it is more than adequate to set the tone. From the word “go”, as the bass just deftly spreads across your stereo, the journey begins. For another instance of this song’s harder nature, a filtered and heavily distorted high-pitched shriek sound bounces along the song beginning at 0:56, further confirming to the listener that the song is about to delve into sinister territory. A series of unique sweeps glide along impressively.
The beauty that is Escape is its ability to produce sounds that one can listen to at home, say, while relaxing, as well as in a club. I say with emphasis throughout that the song is a paradox in uplifting trance, because its emotions give you euphoria by building upon trance’s tendency towards darkness. It is almost as if it achieves a common goal of uplifting trance by being less direct and more open to interpretation. And despite being technically an “uplifting trance” song in its structure, the emotions, I feel, are somewhat more profound than many conventional uplifting tracks that simply gush with obvious attempts at straightfoward euphoria without any “catch” (such as elements that clearly contrast each other) to add complexity. Thus, while Lucid may be the more “catchy” song and may have been more memorable for some, Escape searches for more depth and understanding on an emotional level. Trust me on this, though, it makes this song that much more worthwhile.
Evidently, Escape achieves its prime through melodies, of which Phynn’s version has many. One is obviously the main arpeggiated melody that is placed on lead synths during the breakdowns. It is cacophonous if one studies it intently, and so one will be taken aback by its jarring arrangement; though, it slinks into a more subtle and appealing nature if one is more passive in listening. Another key melody that I think sets Phynn’s version well apart from Fictivision’s is a high-pitched pad that is somber and haunting that adds feelings of yearning and a touch of sad nostalgia. This one begins at 4:38 and serves to establish a climax to the song. Another is a deeper-pitched strings/pad sound that fades in gradually and shifts notes and begins at 1:23. This melody has the feel of a “critical hour” situation, perfectly alluding the track’s name. Though I’ve mentioned less that more “relaxing” touch, like I said, I think part of that comes from the difference between listening to the song intently (producing an intense and energetic vibe) versus listening to it passively (more relaxing.)
The breakdown is class, as one could conjecture, and as the raucous arpeggiated melody plays again and again in your head for nearly four minutes minutes, new elements join the mayhem. All-in-all, the core of the song, which I would say fits between 3:15 and 6:57, is one of the finest I have ever heard. If you can spare the pun, this song escaped any signs of becoming a standard uplifter. Basically, the song rocks!
