310 - Monstercat: Call of the Wild (Ellis - Artist Commentary) is the 159th episode of the Call of the Wild series. The episode was hosted by Ellis for the release of his Recollection Prospective EP and commented on each track, as well as including a remix from his Don't Say Ur Sorry remix competition (listed as B2B). The episode contained eighteen songs, including a Monstercat exclusive, a community pick, two Uncaged and Instinct spotlights, a B2B, and all five tracks from Ellis' EP. The episode is approximately 1 hour, 2 minutes and 43 seconds (1:02:43).
Caught In The Rays - The first track sets the tone of the EP, showcasing Ellis' "little ideas mashed into a two-minute gap." When Ellis started working on the track, he originally planned for it to be "a quick intro record," however, it eventually became "it's own little song in the end, which I think is really cool."
Don't Say Ur Sorry - For the second track of the EP, Ellis' debut single on Monstercat, Ellis recalls the "incredible" response he received. "I was surprised, actually, because it's me taking a step back from the more instrumentally-focused EDM." Ellis wrote the song in the summer of 2019 "super quickly," but he "spent a lot of time editing and changing the minor details to get the final product."
Don't Say Ur Sorry (Jack Shore Remix) - Not part of the EP, Ellis played this B2B as the winning remix of the Don't Say Ur Sorry remix competition. "The first time I heard it, I was just blown away by it's production. It's really creative and the drop just slaps."
Speak Français - The third track of the EP, Ellis' second single, is a "different vibe" from Don't Say Ur Sorry. "I remember writing this record with NOËP in Estonia back in March of [2019]. We wrote it super quickly in two hours, which is one of the fastest things I've written. The result is definitely a 'less is more' approach for me, because I'm so used to using so many different sounds in my record."
Brand New Phone - The fourth track, a collaboration with Pasha, is "a pretty big tune" and creates "a whole new vibe again." Ellis and Pasha wrote most of the song in Pasha's studio in Norway. "I remember hearing his music while I was over there and I was so keen to just getting to write with him." On the production side, it was the toughest to work on. "There was a lot of trial and error, changing chords and switching between live bass and synth bass; I couldn't decide for ages! But I just met myself in the middle in the end: combining a lot of 80's live disco sounds with the heavy-hitting electronic drums. [...] I think it adds that French house, Daft Punk touch to the record, which, in my opinion, was exactly what it needed."
Unfold - The closing track for the EP emits "a lot more emotion than the previous two records," as the vocals and chords share a deeper meaning. "It's all about the feelings of being in the music industry and in a space which, many people don't realize, can be lonely at times. The theme of Caught In The Rays ties in with this, as it's all about those few, genuine and wholesome people, that we are surrounded by, that keep us grounded, and I love how these two [tracks] link together." As of making the track with Tamzene, Ellis recalls the "eureka moment" of the outro. "Tamzene was just jamming with the chords I gave her and we realized we should just turn the metronome off and go free-time to close off the EP. [It's] definitely my favorite chord progression I've ever written."