Echo Map Unveils Debut EP Through Upscale

Brandishing a potent control over groove theory, composition, and textural synthesis, Echo Map's style branches out across the spectrum; with a range encompassing everything from tech-house to neurofunk, the solo brainchild of Moritz Breit pulses with the lifeblood of a lifelong songwriter and instrumentalist. Originally one half of the production duo Synergy Sound, Breit's foray into glitched-out electronic music more than 7 years ago marks the transition point out of a lifetime of classical and jazz-infused roots. That musical theory bedrock pushed the scope of Synergy Sound into genre-blending territories, and continues to do so under the Echo Map moniker. Officially stepping into his new musical skin, Breit has paired up with the boutique electronic label Upscale to unveil the self-titled Echo Map debut EP, redefining and reinvigorating his personal musical output.

As the sea of electronic genres continues to overlap and develop into new, novel formats, the production value and compositional strength of the music in question seems to increase almost exponentially. In the case of Echo Map, the combination of foley audio, bold synthesis, crafty arrangements, and an impressive rhythmic command sums to a powerful sonic narrative. The Echo Map EP unfolds across four divergent tracks that traverse the boundaries of Breit's style, showcasing his undeniable production chops and musical fluidity.

"Wilted" opens the album with groovadelic harmonies, syncopated rhythms, and a blanket of sub weight. Full bodied chords burst through the stereo space, giving gravity to each tangential scale and riff splashing alongside them. Twisted cuts of foley and processed downbeats dance around one another with ample grace and surprising force, packing a thorough wallop when channeled through the proper speaker system. It's funk reimagined, utilizing dynamic tones and modern engineering principles to craft an especially lush palette.

The steady beat synchronicity of "Sunrise" makes it the most pronounced track on the release; while the salient textures and melodies keep it tethered to the EP's core sound, it's tempo pushes the song into vivacious territories. The pulsing low end gives extra bounce to an already buoyant track, and that buoyancy is further underscored by it's audacious rhythmic shuffle. It's a dancefloor escapade that pushes the spatial boundaries of dance-centric music, putting Breit's sonic affluence on full display.

In the wake of Synergy Sound's dissolution, Echo Map dives even deeper into that eccentric musical attitude. Pairing up with Upscale could hardly be more appropriate, as their own finger remains indefinitely on the pulse of modern, dynamic, and organic electronic music. With this first release seeing the light of day, we're keeping our eyes firmly planted on Echo Map's future explorations, and we highly recommend that you do the same.

FOLLOW Echo Map: SoundCloud / Facebook

Hudson Lee and Matt McWaters Release Sophomore Loftii Album

Upscale Recordings’ very own Hudson Lee has built a fortuitous reputation as a musical collaborator, covering a wide berth of divergent styles and potential partners. From fellow label-head Frequent to Vorso, Fallen Noise, and a host other producers and musicians alike, he’s built his catalog around a collection of like-minded individuals, and the products of these collaborations sprawls across the vast terrain of electronic music. His most recent partner in action, Matt McWaters, is a producer and multi-instrumentalist based out of Toronto, Canada. He’s amassed an impressive list of collaborators in his own right, featuring the venerable Ta-ku, Masego, Please Wait, and more. The combination of Lee and McWaters’ intertwined musicality comes in the form of the vivacious project Loftii, and their sophomore release, The End Is Pretty, reveals a whole auditory landscape designed for easy listeners and beat-heads alike.

The End Is Pretty channels a remarkably smooth assortment of textures and modes into a twelve-track journey across moods and attitudes alike. The salient nature of the album is it’s primary strength; there are no harsh edges or massive transients crowding the stereo space, leaving an abundance of room for washy chords and blanketed harmonies. The distinctive lo-fi veneer is paired with particularly bright percussion, emphasizing the dynamic arrangement of each track. It’s difficult to discern where Lee ends and McWaters begins, as every present element fits into the wider musical puzzle with the precision and finesse touted by both artists. It’s an altogether powerful collection that showcases two minds in impressive unity.

“Any window in the world” frames the beginning of the album in a blissed-out, melodious collage of organic pads and sampled arpeggios resting on a bedrock of subtle bass and a pocketed break. It’s the kind of no frills, full service composition that tugs at the heart before it grabs at the mind; like a pebble plopping into calm water, the initial impact is just a catalyst for the wider vibratory experience around it. Sliding over to the albums finale, “The End is Pretty” is the sort of subtle goodbye that leaves behind sonic trails in the headspace. Perhaps the grooviest track on the album, it is also the most endearing of Loftii’s combined musical dynamic. With grace and liquidity, the accented chords strum along from start to finish, turning around at the pluck of every trill and triplet. At just the right moment of tension, that graceful entrance flourishes into a stereophonic chorus of supple textures and whimsical slices of soprano synthesis, bringing the album to a succinct, poignant close.

The growing number of collaborative projects amongst the world’s burgeoning and foremost electronic music producers is music to our ears, and it’s incredibly gratifying to hear the diversity in style and interpretation that comes along with these collaborations. Hudson Lee and Matt McWaters put the potential of these projects on full display, and The End Is Pretty showcases a time-honed precision in the mingling of vibe and composition. Whether you’re searching for impact, soul, or a smooth auditory experience, Loftii’s newest album is undeniably fertile ground.

FOLLOW Loftii: Bandcamp / SoundCloud

FOLLOW Hudson Lee: Bandcamp / Spotify / SoundCloud

FOLLOW Matt McWaters: Spotify / Soundcloud

Veteran Heavyweight Frequent Unravels Frequencies in Grass Rat [SINGLE]

Pushing modern sound design and drum and bass sensibilities to their logical extremes, the production heavyweight Frequent unravels the frequency spectrum in his single “Grass Rat”. Being both a longtime veteran of bass music evolution and the co-owner of Upscale Recordings, it should come as no surprise that the track is as brawny as it is erratic.

Living up to its name, “Grass Rat” features a bucked, broken quality to it’s synthesis. Granular textures and obtuse engineering place the most mottled and resampled tones at the front of the song, showcasing the legendary sound design chops that first put Frequent on the map. The track opens with a full time beat down, hurling the composition into a violent half-time streek. The rhythm is accented not just by massive downbeats and staccato percussion, but also by the cuts and warps within the bassline itself. It’s that lively mingling of instrumentation that makes “Grass Rat” a veritable journey through the darkest reaches of bass music.

Given his tenure as both a genre-bending producer and curator of similar productions, Frequent has an immutable understanding of bass music composition. Even in the midst of a heavily saturated market and sound, his tracks have a way of shining just that much brighter, lending credence to his credentials as a master of his craft. While we can’t be sure what 2020 will bring, we’re excited at the possibility of “Grass Rat” being just a taste of what’s to come.

FOLLOW Frequent: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

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