Waterchild & Space Cadet - Flabber Ghasted [Premiere]

After the release of Impressions and Premonitions in 2016 and 2017, respectively, the Nashville-based producers Waterchild and Space Cadet cap their collaborative trilogy of mystic downtempo EPs with Illuminations, dropping tomorrow. The multi-dimensional and aqueous single “Flabber Ghasted” premieres today preceding the full EP.

This tune delivers a sensation akin to the ground shifting beneath your feet, while your head rockets up to outer space. The producers make excellent use of the space within the mix to set up dimension and foundation that grounds the listener. Then they begin shifting and rearranging those elements, altering depth perception and eventually tumbling the listener headlong into a galactic climax of triumphant melody surrounded by swirling particulate matter. “Flabber Ghasted” acts as an emotional high point on Illuminations, which is itself a climactic conclusion to this series of EPs.

There’s much to appreciate in the separate production styles of Waterchild and Space Cadet, both of whom were featured on The Rust Music’s Oxidized Vol. 2 compilation. Each brushes up gently against psychedelia without overdoing it, and each can create musical moments of great emotional weight without needing to blast the listener with sound. Together, they elevate to a higher, more nuanced plane of creativity where each pushes the other take risk. They can frequently be found on lineups together in and around Nashville, helping to hold down that southeastern city’s small but growing psychedelic bass scene. Illuminations is available for pre-order now, and also check out the prior two EPs for the full Waterchild & Space Cadet experience. 

FOLLOW Waterchild:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Bandcamp

FOLLOW Space Cadet:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Bandcamp   /   Spotify

Waterchild & Space Cadet - Premonitions

Bringing out the right flavors for “world music” is often times a daunting task; finding the proper timbres, creating an atmosphere of realism, and injecting the perfect porridge of nostalgia takes a musical mind that’s ready to put down tropes and typical schemas in favor of unbridled sonic exploration. Waterchild and Space Cadet bring to the table an atypical, yet absolutely archetypal bevy of rhythms, grooves, chops, cuts, and pulsating bass lines through their newest collaborative EP, Premonitions.

Following up their 2016 release, Impressions, their most recent creation is a modal, global souffle of indigenous percussion mingled with dungeon-ready synthesis, emotionally intelligent melodies layered on top of and behind a soup of auditory glitches and intentional missteps.

“Choice is the act of hesitation we make before making a decision. It is a mental wobbling.” So aptly named, Mental Wobble starts off the EP with a delicious groove smoothie, combining a balanced, steady rhythm with a-rhythmic subtleties and fluttering movements of top layer synthesis that can do no more or less than bring a comfortable smile to the listener’s face.

Oshun takes us on a journey towards the musicality of the far east, eschewing 3rds and 4ths in musical scales and fleshing out the beautiful interplay of Hirojoshi-esque note architecture. The bass never takes the spotlight, instead opting to play the role of a veritable cushion for the lighter, airy frequencies, giving the track a full base and flavour that fills up every part of the audible spectrum.

The final track on the EP is without question the most eclectic, and is incredibly specific in its intention while remaining absolutely non-specific in its direction. Akashi is an ambient adventure, filled with drips, clicks, plops, scrapes, oscillations, and scale interplay. There is a constant, but gradual ebb and flow, rising and building with a palpable tension, only to then dive farther down a mysterious rabbit hole. Beneath an omnipresent ascending and descending melody, choice flares of synthesizers and bubbly textures ooze to the surface, culminating in an satisfying, system-wide mainframe shutdown to close out this incredible journey.

Musicians; Producers; Auditory shamans. Waterchild and Space Cadet display a deeply educated understanding of the tools at their disposal, their own musical minds, and how to juxtapose those assets against each other to craft something beyond a typical product; Something that breathes on its own without any need for reference or perspective. You needn’t become acquainted with anything other than your own ears to enjoy the pallet of tones presented on the Premonitions EP. In fact, after just a single listen through this release, you might feel inclined to jump headfirst into the rest of these musicians’ incredible catalogs.

FOLLOW Waterchild:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Bandcamp

FOLLOW Space Cadet:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Bandcamp   /   Spotify