Hudson Lee Advances Sonic Narrative With Reflex Angle LP

With every subsequent release, Hudson Lee adds another layer to the matryoshka sphere that surrounds his catalog. When tapped into a particularly daring creative for long enough, it engenders a first-class seat to the evolution of their creative arc. Hudson Lee has managed to transform what was once a collection of high-powered, somewhat isolated tracks, folding them into a narrative undergoing metamorphosis; the release of Reflex Angle showcases a clear transformation in his songwriting process, fusing the very best of his sound design exploits with effusive and outstanding compositions.

Hudson Lee has already spent the last 5 years and running carving out his share of sonic territory; between his individual works, his numerous collaborations, and the operation of his flagship label Upscale, he’s kept himself consistently busy in the best way possible. What’s pointedly remarkable is that through all that time, his compositional output blossomed in ways that beget extraordinary discipline. It’s that tunnel-vision work ethic that laid the groundwork for Reflex Angle, allowing a surge of musical ideas to achieve terminal velocity in flight. That prescient burst of musical determination comes across in both obvious and surprising forms, with tracks such as “The Long Return”, “Skin”, “Staring Up” [Co-produced by Alexander Planos], and “Antialignment” displaying a new frontier of Hudson Lee’s creativity through compositional displays of intensity and mirth intertwined. It’s an especially choice touch of emotivity, bringing the albums narrative to life with a spectacular degree of lucidity. Across the spectrum, the frenetic and powerful churn behind “Axon”, “Chasm”, and “Reanimate” bridge the gap towards his traditional output, pulsing with newfound tactile control. It’s the blending of these seemingly disparate elements that creates the ouroboros of Reflex Angle, marking another waypoint in the ongoing story of Hudson Lee.

If you find yourself as moved as we are from your first listen, then you’re in extraordinary luck; Starting at 3:30pm today and tomorrow (July 30th and 31st), Upscale is hosting a two-day online streaming event featuring a stacked entourage of labelmates, associates, friends, and masters of their craft for an immersive showcase of avant-garde electronic music. Tune in through their Twitch Channel to check out the festivities.

FOLLOW Hudson Lee: Soundcloud / BandCamp / Spotify

Frequent & Hudson Lee Traverse Stereo Space on “Forest Fires”

Production heavyweights Frequent and Hudson Lee have a potent history of collaboration; they’ve co-owned and operated Upscale Recordings since 2016, and they’ve combined their musical output in the last few years to produce “Windows” and a remix to Telepopmusik’s “Breath”. Individually, Frequent and Hudson Lee present two different breeds of potent electronic music. Frequent tends to focus on razor-sharp sound design and low-end ferocity, while Hudson Lee places his focus on the instrumental and harmonic interplay within his music. When it comes to straight forward production and engineering, however, they’re both at the tip of space-age fidelity. In another fantastic display of that fidelity, they’re emerging from the studio with the fresh, cinematic collaboration “Forest Fires”.

Differences aside, one of the unifying factors about Frequent and Hudson Lee is their uncompromising control of rhythm. They’ve both been known to touch on grooves ranging across the rhythmic spectrum, and therein lies the most attractive aspect of “Forest Fires”. Eschewing a dance floor-ready approach, the track is a slow, powerful dive into an emotive composition. It’s fully laden with audio artifacts and glitchy, asymmetrical cuts, intentionally rupturing the fabric of the composition. The arrangement ebbs in and out of a high tide of texture and tension, placing the focus on the innards of every measure. It’s the distinct opposite of transient, with downbeats few and far between until the tail end of the track. The movement that is usually achieved by percussion is instead achieved through the evolution of tone and timbre. Ripping synthesis mingles with atmospheric pads and subtle chord phrasing to create a fully stereophonic experience. 

Frequent and Hudson Lee have built their individual brands and collaborative platform into a powerhouse of intense, texturally crisp music. Occasionally, they combine their musical and production know-how to craft some particularly alluring musical experiences. “Forest Fires” is a formidable next step in their ongoing voyage through sound, forging a unique combination of living, breathing composition and top-tier production and engineering.

FOLLOW Frequent: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Spotify 

FOLLOW Hudson Lee: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Spotify