We’ve been waiting a long time for Marshmello & Jauz’ first original collaboration, especially considering many felt that they had the rug pulled out from under them when their first collab was actually a remix. Their collab on Duke Dumont’s “Need You (100%)” was a bit underwhelming at first, though admittedly, it has grown on us over time. Now, we get to see what their combined efforts can accomplish when they create a wholly original track.
Honestly, we liked their remix more. “Magic” is a very simple track with a single polyrhythm throughout its duration; it’s easy to discern which parts belong to Jauz and which belong to Marshmello. The vocal chop/top line is clearly Marshmello’s contribution, whereas the deeper bass is a bit more of a combination of the two’s abilities – the sound is Mello’s but the structure is likely Jauz’, owing to his history in producing dubstep. This is further cemented in the following section in which the wubs are unleashed, though rather lazily, following a simple wave pattern. All this time, the same top line continues to permeate, giving very little depth or complexity to the overall experience.
The track then bounces back to the original structure, without much further adaptation or evolution in the sound. The reason that I, personally, am a little disappointed in this collaboration is because I know exactly how talented Jauz and Marshmello are. They have both individually released tracks that are better than their collaboration, which is definitely an interesting dynamic.
You can hear the depth and complexity in both of those tracks. They sound full and complete, which is the result of passionate production and great mastering and engineering. “Magic,” on the other hand, to me, sounds like it was made with a deadline in mind.
I highly encourage you to form your own opinion, and to enjoy this track however you like.