As the credits roll on the celestial, M83-aping theatrics of closing track “Atoms,” you might find yourself catching your breath after trying to chase down whatever overarching mood Nova is trying to cast. He tries his hand at the booming, mainstream-made 2-step sound Skrillex’s recently dabbled in on “Shoulda,” and crashes through the industrial grind of “Era” with a hair-whipping drop that feels as migraine-inducing as it does dated “UCLA” transitions from a palm-muted guitar bridge to a stomping chorus with a charisma-free anti-hook from rapper 24hrs. Play the bleeping, bruising electro of “Pressure” for any Electric Daisy enthusiast Folgers Challenge-style, and they’re likely to mistake it for, say, the searing tang of Alexander Ridha’s Boys Noize project-who, coincidentally, assisted with some analog-synth sounds for the track.Ĭollaboration is nothing new in dance culture, and even when taking into account the shadowy-but-common practice of ghostwriting in the genre’s upper echelons, it’s far from a scandalized convention-but these by-committee moments on Nova only further the theory that Steinway’s still in search of his sound. The skyscraping throb of “Light Me Up” could’ve come from any EDM mega-producer over the last decade, and it technically did the song was repurposed from an unused demo from Diplo and Skrillex’s Jack Ü project passed along to Steinway for a spit-shined finish. The sonic makeup of Nova is split between nasty bass workouts and straightforward pop, but Steinway seems incapable of distinguishing himself as a producer in either mode. It’s big music, with gaping synth storms and mountain-flattening beats sprawled across its 15 tracks. If Void was reaching for stylistic smarts, Nova sets its sights for the highest rafters in the biggest arenas possible. It’s loaded with guests, from the increasingly ubiquitous Ty Dolla Sign and Miguel to Chief Keef and songwriter-of-the-moment Julia Michaels the music backing said guests is appropriately glossy and bombastic, possessing all the subtlety of a thousand confetti cannons. If Steinway still possesses promise as a producer, it seems we’re going to wait a little longer to see him deliver on it: his second full-length, Nova, largely abandons the cool-kid stylistic tics of Void for something bigger, brighter, and wholly anonymous.