Somatoast - Spit Swisha EP

Stepping into the new year with a bang, Somatoast comes ready to the party with a 2 track EP oozing with psy-dub goodness. A staple of psybient electronic music, Somatoast delivers once again on his crystal-clear mixdowns, excellent sound design, and musical affluence with a pair of tunes that will keep the head bobbing and the feet skipping along to steady rhythms and glitchy turn-arounds.

Geezer opens up the EP with a groovy hip-swing. The track jives along to a walking bassline, with asymmetrical glitches casually panning throughout the duration of the song. Light-weight arpeggios come and go along the mix, keeping the headspace from becoming too focused on just one auditory sensation. Gentle counter-melodies stab through on the 2s and 4s of each bar, keeping a steady and inviting bounce that adds a certain tropical flair to Geezer.

Spit Swisha brings home the EP with a well-balanced dance of popping drum lines and brightly colored melodies. Guitar licks flutter in and out of the track, following along an augmented musical scale and resonating on a subtle eastern vibe. Hi-hat shuffles keep the high-end full and vivacious, and sit perfectly in the percussive pocket between precisely EQ'd kicks and snares. All the while, there is the ever pervasive feeling of having been welcomed into a deranged, glitch-loving carnival.

Somatoast wastes no time with the choice tracks he has released throughout his career, and the Spit Swisha EP is no exception. As an American frontrunner of psychedelic bass music, he consistently delivers a rich porridge of aural slime, grit, wetness, and two-step percussion. As he's started 2018 on such a high note, it can only be surmised that the rest of the year will follow suit for this scintillating mastermind.

FOLLOW Somatoast:   Souncloud   /   Bandcamp   /   Website   /   Facebook

Lo-Fi Sundays 011 - gny

Part of hip-hop's illustrious magic revolves around its world-wide appeal; the pervasive 4/4 time signature and repetitious melodies have a way of inspiring the head-nod, regardless of culture or geography, so today, we're giving the spotlight to gny, a Philippine native by the name of Eugene Yaptangco who has an unmistakable penchant for brewing archetypal lo-fi.

Separating the good, the bad, and the ugly with lo-fi can sometimes become convoluted, and the tropes that often denote musical prowess are left at the door, making the true value of this underground genre a variable that depends entirely on what the individual interpretation of the music. gny offers a product that is far less ambiguous in its musical acuity, and far more enriched in its composition, arrangement, and presentation. 

His most recent beat-tape, hall of mirrors, shines far brighter than many of its contemporary releases as a conscious connection between hip-hop and jazz music. The conceptual goal for the collection was to explore the motif of jazz artists creating a vast array of interpretations of particular songs, and how that can be applied to the crafting of lo-fi rhythms. gny was gracious enough to provide some precise language about his exploits: "Each of these beats samples 5 different artists who created their own version of the same song. My thought when creating this project was: these jazz artists can create their own version of a song, why can’t beat-makers do that, too? Collectively, the titles of the beats create one sentence explaining the reinvention of this music in the hip-hop approach, and the tape’s titled /hall of mirrors/ since it is looking into different reflections of the same thing."

While there is only so much to dig through for now in the case of gny, it is also worth noting that he has an electronic project as well, by the name of Technicalia. Running through both projects will surely be enough to satiate until the next installment from this meticulous, multi-faceted producer.

FOLLOW gny:   Soundcloud   /   Spotify   /   Facebook

Averise - Questions [Premiere]

Outtallectuals is a digital music label that was started in the UK by label member Баxтак in 2011. It has since become a collective of more than forty musicians, artists, curators and philanthropists stationed worldwide. Due to the vast capabilities of the internet, this net label is able to operate across multiple continents; specifically Asia, Europe and the Americas. While they do have individual catalog releases from their array of artists, they also curate unique live performances and festival stages, manage events, and release charity compilations. Outtallectuals has a breadth far beyond the scope of releasing music.

At the beginning of the new year, Outtallectuals will be releasing their next musical effort, Warpball. Today we have the privilege of premiering Aversive's "Questions", one of our favorite tracks on the compilation. The release features 20 songs and is also a soundtrack for a video game of the same name, created by game developers, Unruly Attraction. Being that this is an Outtallectuals release, you can expect to hear cutting edge, experimental bass music with technical prowess and a worldly view.

Each of the songs on this compilation is a composition unto its own. As a whole, it is a marvelous soundtrack. While this specific release is not for charity, most of their compilations are. In 2015 they released the Dhawa Sunrise Compilation. Originally it was created to raise funds for the building of a science lab, but after the earthquake hit in April of 2015, it went towards helping to rebuild the village. Outtallectuals feels strongly about using music as a tool for enacting positive change onto the world, and this is only one of many efforts they’ve made. In their words, they are “a label specializing in a conceptual hybrid of music, culture and sustainability”. Most recently, they worked together with many others to construct a Skatepark in Nepal, in an effort to build a foundation for skate culture in the country. You can watch a short documentary about the project here. 

Outtallectuals is a music label and “live act”. In the past this has meant a selection of label artists, with the addition of local artists dependent on place. In Bhutan in 2015, Bwoy de Bhajan and Amin Payne performed together with the Monks of Majuli, a ten person collective of monks from Northern India, and a two person Sufi Rajasthani group called the Kutle Khan Project. The intention behind curating these live acts is to expand the scope of bass music, to evolve the live experience, to explore the different modes of global music and to encourage experimentation on all fronts. Outtallectuals is just scratching the surface for the potential of these collaborative showcases.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, bass music producer Aversive, or Avery Bremner, has been sharing her mellifluous creations with the world since early 2014. Today, we are premiering her track "Questions" off of the Warpball compilation. An opening circus-like melody leads into thick, bassy synths paired with a tempo that keeps your feet moving and your brain dancing. While the song is certainly bass driven, the recurring melodies maintain a nice light-heartedness to the track. There are many layers that unfold throughout. Questions is a terrific display of complex, sound-design driven music. We couldn't be more excited to share this with you.

FOLLOW Outtallectuals:   Website   /   Facebook   /   Soundcloud 

FOLLOW Aversive:   Facebook   /   Soundcloud 

Dhawa Sunrise Compilation 2015

Smallprint Recordings [Interview]

Reaching the ear canals of sonic explorers from the home base of Brighton, UK, SmallPrint Recordings has been pushing an ecosystem of eclectic compositional motifs and musically affluent producers since its birth in 2014. Specializing in jazz & soul influenced electronic music, SmallPrint is an archetype in directed curation; each of the nine artists featured on the label share in their influences and choices of avant-garde musical phenotypes. What materializes is a comprehensive and cohesive catalog of music and successive releases that can all on their own or in tandem be used to accurately portray the vision and direction of SmallPrint Recordings.

Humble beginnings are a common staple of underground labels, and Smallprint is no different. We had the opportunity to speak to Joe Vince, a co-founder of the label who produces under the moniker Primate, about SmallPrint’s origin and inner workings.

The Rust: What brought the three of you together to create such a particularly defined label?

 Joe: The three of us met studying for a music production degree in 2011. In the beginning, we were all making more “dance-floor” style music, like dubstep and d&b. We definitely all had a shared interest to try and find something new which hadn't been established too much already.  We all began to be interested in more ambient styles, as it seemed like the scene for that still had a lot of room for originality and hadn't necessarily been pushed very hard through other labels.  Now and again we do still like to   incorporate some of the heavier music that we used to make, but we generally like to still try and put a bit of a twist on it when we do.

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Together with Vince, Mark Aidallbery (Marka) and Luke Wightman (Effluent) spearhead the label and its efforts, as well as set a standard for the aural environment they want to propagate. The nuances of jazz are effervescent throughout their productions, between organic shuffles and turn-arounds, to subtle chord dissonance and instrumental dialogue. It is a territory still ripe for exploration in the realm of electronic music, and while other artists have strived to integrate the jazz spirit into their own music, SmallPrint Recordings and its affiliate musicians have set a bar of magnanimous heights.

The Rust: Were there particular innovators/inspirations you turned to as efforts were coalesced to bring Smallprint to life?

Joe: There have been quite a few different artists and labels we've taken influences from over the years. Artists such as Geode, Jafu, Mercy, Gerwin, and all the other people on the Chord Marauders team really inspired us with the potential of more low key and slightly jazzy bass music. Then there’s also influences from hip-hop instrumental artists like Moods, Birocratic, and Flamingosis. There's also more new styles of electronic music appearing now from producers like Tennyson and a lot of people from Night Owl Collective, which helps keep things interesting and unpredictable with the kinds of things we're hearing in electronic music.  Aside from that, there's a load of bands and musicians who really inspire us with what they're doing; People like Snarky Puppy, Hiatus Kaiyote and Vulfpeck, who although are very different from what we do, are all really good examples of how the jazz scene is generally growing and developing in new ways.

The Rust: Why the jazz influence? Is it a shared commonality amongst the founders? Do you feel there is a particular emotional landscape that you’re trying to curate?

Joe: The jazz influence is strong in our releases because it was a sound that we were all initially attracted to. The way the chords can sound slightly off, but then when done well, fits a track nicely is something we all found interesting.  There seems to be a big rise in jazz influenced music in lots of different styles, but we feel that it hasn't had a chance to reach its full potential in the “bass" music scene.  There are also a number of really good other artists pushing the Jazz sound at the moment - the majority of the music we listen to is heavily jazz/soul influenced, but it generally seems to have a slightly different vibe to most of the stuff we've released.  Jazz isn't our only influence though.  We take lots of rhythmic influences from genres like Hip-Hop, Dubstep, House and Garage.  And then sometimes even some kind of melodic styles and textures from other genres like Progressive Rock and Funk. 

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The cumulative rhythmic influences are pervasive throughout their catalog. While the compositional influences remain consistent from artist to artist, the tempo and stylistic direction of the tracks released through the label vary greatly. It is a measurable milestone that sets SmallPrint Recordings apart from other labels, where tempo and sound may begin to fall stagnant in variation. 

The Rust: Do you intend to maintain the jazz/soul focus on the productions you propagate?

Joe: Jazz and soul will always be apart of our influences, so those genres are most likely to be featured in quite a lot of our future releases, but it's hard to judge what kinds of things are going to happen next. Tastes can change and there might be a new kind of sound which emerges and becomes something we're interested pushing on the label as well.  

The Rust: The individual stylizations of all the artists on the label are incredibly specific; do you ever feel there is a difficulty propagating electronic music that does not fit more popular molds?

Joe: It is difficult sometimes because there often doesn't seem to be a huge scene for the music we're pushing, but that's one of the reasons we enjoy what we're doing. We're attempting to try and bring something a bit different to the table. Also, it is an amazing feeling to have people on the other side of the world who are inspired by the same music as us, even if it hasn't become fully established in one place yet.  We can always hope that one day it turns out that we were on the right side of history by pushing this kind of music now, but we'll have to wait and see.

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Following musical trends is an exhaustive endeavor that can often feel like “chasing the purple dragon”, so to speak. Diving into less popular, more eclectic sounds, however, can yield notably more organic results. Actively promoting alternative electronic productions has made SmallPrint Recordings a one-stop-shop for those who find themselves attracted to less saturated circles of artists and content creators. On December 17th, SmallPrint released it’s third installment of the Smallprint Volume series, a compilation of 35 artists from the UK, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Syria, the US, Canada and Russia. Some are SmallPrint labelmates, but many are artists who have been uncovered in much deeper musical rabbit holes from across the globe, putting on the table the powerful influence this label has in propagating a sound that they feel must be heard and digested.  

The Rust: What is your ideology behind whose music you choose to release through the label, and who you sign onto the team?

Joe: We're always on the look out for more talented artists to release with SmallPrint. We try to work with as many artists as we can, even if it doesn't fit with exactly what we've done before. As long as we like the music and it doesn't seem completely out of place, we still incorporate it. Our general aim is to use SmallPrint as a platform for who we consider to be the upcoming artists of the future, so we'll always try and find a place for the music we're passionate about.

The Rust: What are your future intentions for SmallPrint Recordings? How do you see the organization growing from this point?

Joe: We've got a fair few ideas and plans for SmallPrint in the near future. There are EP's and singles lined up for the start of next year and we're about to get into making more music videos. Also, we've gained another member of SmallPrint, Nick. A really talented designer and photographer who's now leading the design side of things. We've got a selection of merchandise which we're just about to launch such as, 4 different designs and will all be available soon through our website. We will also have CD's of Vol. 3 on there very shortly. As well as that, we're about to launch SmallPrint Ingredients. This is going to be our sample pack platform with our first sample pack release very soon.

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For those who are in search of intelligent design and musicality to wet their palate, SmallPrint Recordings will provide the absolute finest in left-field, off-kilter sonic servings. Dipping their hands in as many aspects of the electronic music industry as possible, casual listeners and passionate producers alike must keep their ears privy to everything coming out of this label, or risk missing out on indulging in the development of an aural enterprise unlike the vast multitude of their contemporaries. 

FOLLOW Smallprint Recordings:   Website   /   Bandcamp   /   Facebook   /   Soundcloud   /   Spotify 

Smigonaut - Constructs EP

"The small dude facing the big skyscraper...the individual's struggle with society as a whole" - Josh Kipersztok a.k.a. Smigonaut (Artist: 5AM)

You heard the Boston-based producer Smigonaut become untethered on Oxidized Vol. 2, now prepare yourself for a visceral and intellectual music experience; Constructs EP, his most outstanding work to date.  

"My big theme for the EP and the artwork [created by 5AM] was feeling like sometimes it’s you vs. the world, and how that can feel alienating especially when you try to defy conventional norms,” says Josh Kipersztok a.k.a. Smigonaut. “How many of these feelings are just based on social constructs?"

Having first heard him on collaborations with Jade Cicada, we’ve always known Smigonaut to possess exceptional production capabilities. Josh was recently promoted to the Quality Control Department of the award-winning production plug-in designers Izotope, so we trust his ear to say the least. In this instance, Smigonaut goes for the jugular with his sound design again and again, particularly on the title track “Constructs”. This was a tasty ID on Smigonaut's Tipper & Friends Mix, and it bangs even harder the second time around. 

Every sound on the four-track EP is deliberate, defined, and delicious, be it a split-second crunch on “Pocket Drones”, oscillating sub-bass on “Double Life”, or the music box melody on the downtempo track “Anomolous”. The work is also exceptionally mastered, polished to pulse with a cerulean luster. Andy Widdecomb a.k.a. DeeZ performed the mastering on the first track “Pocket Drones”, and Sandy Finlayson a.k.a. Seppa is to be credited for the rest.

The Constructs EP is the most jammin’ example to date of that sound which makes Smigonaut special; propulsive and dirty left-field bass presented through melodious, jazzy songwriting. Hear this on “Double Life”, when the producer pulls the rug out from under a Saturday Night Fever-ish bassline and whimsical key lead to reveal a hyped-up wobbler. Josh played classical piano throughout his childhood and adolescence. He says he's "out of practice", but he clearly crafts his music with a fundamental understanding of note relationships. 

Utilizing the emotive power of these note relationships within the context of electronic textures and timbres creates dramatic moments, as when an indulgent piano lick swaggers in on the heels of some absolute filth on “Constructs”. Where the music is so precise and mechanized, it is also so human, so dependent on feel. The high technicality would be hollow without the intuitive, emotional threads woven often with the piano. By the same token these catchy and accessible melodies wouldn’t strike nearly as hard without Josh’s reinforced electronic synthesis. 

The prevalence of technology is hinted at across the work. “Pocket Drones” reminds us of “black mirror” or other such ominous nicknames for the smart phone. The turn of phrase conjures dystopian themes, particularly the concept of surveillance, and the album artwork syncs up with this thread.

From the subtle play of ideas, to the daring sound design, through the personal relevance for the artist all tied together by the alluring artwork, this is a magnum opus of sorts for Smigonaut. "The individual should not fear their own path even if it doesn’t follow the norms,” Josh says, again touching on the theme for his EP. In other words, being anomalous or different is not something to fear, but something to embrace. In his creative endeavors, Smigonaut has been faithful to this ethos. In this instance,  it's led to his most outstanding and impressive work to date. Pick up Constructs here.

FOLLOW Smigonaut:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Twitter   /   Instagram

Occult. - Dacha, Phoenix, Village EP Trilogy

Occult. is the musical work of Ollie Lock from the United Kingdom. Occult. has released three projects in just over a month; Phoenix Lights on November 15th with label Yellow Flower, Village on December 15th with Substruct, and Dacha today, December 18th, on Fent Plates. Phoenix Lights is rooted in hip-hop, a style which appears subtly across the Occult. catalog. This five-track record, however, finds Occult. at ease within the hip-hop lexicon, able to shape the sound to fit his non-intrusive ethos. Village has ambient valleys and head-tossing high-points, but ultimately it's - as Substruct describes - “that organic cozy vibe that we’re all looking for this time of year.” Dacha is mighty impressive, fusing styles and probably offering the most direct example of Occult.’s garage background. 

Many electronic music enthusiasts in the United States may not be familiar with the style called “garage” which originated in the United Kingdom. Occult. is both an accessible introduction to the genre for those who aren't familiar, and a refreshing nuanced take on the style for those who are. He stretches percussion-driven, dance-friendly sound across diverse influences from ambient to lo-fi hip-hop. Can any supremely talented electronic producer these days be boxed-in to one particular style? No, but garage does seem to be the staging ground for Occult’s sound. One word we can definitively paint across this music; “innovation”.

Much of Occult’s music is low-fidelity, particular his hip-hop work on Phoenix Lights. This little release could hold its own among any of the best lo-fi snippets released this side of the pond, though tunes like “Enoch” with it’s slight shuffle betray the producer’s roots in dance music, which is of course no fault. “Twin Lakes” off Village stones the listener with its low-fidelity ambiance.  This track and most others on Village exemplify Occult’s faith in tone; pure, simple, omnipotent tone. His synthesizers and keys are rudimentary in terms of their sonic dimension. But through Occult.'s delicate and ultimately simple juxtaposition of tones, raw mood and power radiate from the music. Occult also leans heavily on white and ambient noise to construct dimension and depth within his mixes. Some sounds, like the ambient noise and half-intelligible vocals on “Flex101” from Dacha, are set deep into the mix. Others float near the surface. 

Occult music is striking in its simplicity. There’s no trace of pretension, and no overt effort to impress upon the listener. It’s more like, “Here’s a groovy organization of sound. Enjoy, or don’t.” For the contemplative individual, it’s ideal. The music creates a psychological canvas for the listener to paint his or her own creative thoughts and reflections upon. The listening experience defined as much by the listener as by the musician himself. There’s a vocal sample in the tune "Pegasus" - perhaps our favorite song across the three releases - which speaks to this idea. This track is masterful, a synthesis of acid jazz and garage. An arpeggiated synthesizer turns cartwheels in the background while hi-hats shuffle in the foreground, and a saxophone rides through the middle atop of wave a lush bass. Occult. music may be intellectual, but it's also undeniably groovy and danceable. This is the killer combination that, at least for this listener, defines greatness in dance music; the summum bonum of electronica. 

Each of these three prolific releases has been pressed to vinyl. Given the depth of composition, the low, vaguely defined sub bass, and the variety of ambient noise across this work, we're certain it will sound phenomenal on wax. Pick one up on the producer's Bandcamp account while they last, and stay chooned for new music from Occult. Maybe the producer will chill after dropping three phenomenal releases in just over a month. For some reason, though, we doubt it. 

FOLLOW Occult.:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Bandcamp  

Lo-Fi Sundays 010 - slr

Like the water off the shores of this producer's home state, beats from New-Jersey based slr (sailor) are thick, choppy and refreshing. The producer has hit on various lo-fi sub-styles over the years, but with recent offerings dives into a layered, aqueous sound. We're not the only ones impressed, either, as slr cuts have been featured on tapes from lofi.hiphop, the imprint curated by eminent lo-fi producer bsd.u.  

Most of our favorites have a jazzy, improvisational demeanor, whether a piano, horn, or xylophone is the sampled instrument of choice. The thick, layered texture - hear it on “Shift” - comes in part from spreading wide the dusty hi-hats and practicing some adept side-chain compression. This technique compresses the drums in such a way, usually the kick drum, so that it subtly dampens all the other elements in the song each time it thuds. This pops the kick out a bit more and gives more dimension to the rest of the mix. Strong basslines add more viscosity, some seriously strong like the boom on “R.E.M.”. Then of course there’s the vinyl cracks and rushing white noise that subtly sets off a tune like “cook”. 

From what’s available on Soundcloud and Bandcamp, one can hear that some of slr’s older beats don’t have this thick dimension, tending more towards the soft, spindly side of lo-fi. The production is very diverse if you go back years, hitting other vibes like on “Natalie Portman Goes on a Safari”. Here’s a disjointed, sort of fumbling rhythm with a lead melody played on some delightful equatorial percussion instrument.

The producer collaborates frequently with other notable beatmakers like brother mynor, bsd.u and sensi, with whom he produced an entire tape titled “The Maintenance” that is excellent and laid-back. Unlike his jazzy work, the collab with bsd.u is disorienting, and, as one Soundcloud user writes, “FREEZING”. We’ll keep an ear on the horizon for future collabs, and to hear slr sailing through some forthcoming beat tapes. 

FOLLOW slr:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   TrackTrain

Hullabalo0 - Towers

It's been a long time coming since I heard my first Hullabalo0 serving. I found "Kuria" through EDM.com in 2014, to be precise, and since then I've witnessed his crunk and jazz influence fuse with psychedelia in unconceivable ways. After several EP releases with Street Ritual, Swamp Music, ShadowTrix Music, and a heap of compilation features and singles, Towers is Hullablao0's latest self-released effort in a saga of squelchy, jazzy and funky neuro-bouncin basstravaganzas.

The album is made up of 11 songs, with a consistent synthesis aesthetic that is present throughout the album. Arps sounding like sparks of a plasma field fire, oomphed out yet non-invasive wubs, sparse sound placement and a shivelight of silence which always shines through the crystal-clear mixes form a truly curious overall balance of sophisticated jazziness and outright silliness.

When you hear these songs, it’s hard not to smile. Certain ludicrous thoughts come to mind during some of the album's best moments; "Apple Seed" and "Fos" sound like the VIP lounge of an intergalactic disco inside a wormhole. There’s an unintended yet precise pun about the Californian music group; the trippy ending of "Business" and beginning of "Waauuoo" utilize Hullabalo0's cinematic atmospheres, as heard in his 2014 track, "Leviathan," with samples of mega-old films. The synthesis of sneezes into the hilariously hard-hitting "Dad Sneeze"; and tracks like "La Vita È.." with an overall euphoric vibe and neat glitchy groove present a ripe balance.

Having read about Hullabalo0's background through his recent interview with ThisSongSlaps.com, and learning that this dude "might as well have been born on the moon" due to living in countless countries in his upbringing and the inability to pinpoint where he is from, the extremely alien nature of his music can be more easily contextualised. These sounds don't necessarily fit in any one location or culture on the planet, and they may as well be extra-terrestrial compositions with a faint yet welcome whiff of humanity to them.

Towers is another step in the maturation and diversification of Hullabalo0's sound, and it is an ode to the work-flow optimization that he's achieved after the past few years to reach a consistent sound and production quality. To balance the article with some constructive criticism, it should be mentioned that while the whole album is highly danceable, a few of the songs such as “Waauuoo” and “Crab-Walk” fall short in memorability, as they don't have unique features in contrast to other tracks like “Dad Sneeze” which is instantly unforgettable, and the luscious Rainbow Runways type melodies of "Amsuleo" and "La Vita È.." Nevertheless, Hullabalo0 is carving a new path in psybass, which is automatically distinct from most other artists, and it stems from a trained hepcat approach which has been bolstered through years of practice, and humanizingly wacky humour.

You can scoop Hullabalo0's Towers here.

FOLLOW Hullabal0o:   Soundcloud   /   Bandcamp   /   Facebook

Ovoid - Abstraction EP

(Artist: An original painting by Bild & Elaine Alonzo, digitally rinsed by Bild)

The Abstraction EP from Washington native Ovoid is an omnitempo journey through surrealistic sound presented by Elliptic Audio Research, the cutting edge psychedelic imprint from Seattle, WA. Coming on the heels of the artist’s debut album Life, from May of this year, the Abstraction EP showcases at first Ovoid’s riveting uptempo offering, then dives into the psychedelic downtempo noire that is his signature.

The first two tracks combine the cerebral indulgence of neuro glitch-hop sound with the danceability and driving rhythm of drum and bass. “Drimb” begins on the inside of a computer interface, beeping a buzzing around a rich bass heartbeat. Tension builds and releases into a rapid groove punctuated with countless sonic details. The percussion is unique, with a muted kick and no traditional snare to speak of. Within these DnB tunes, Ovoid uses traditional percussion samples not as the basis of a beat, but as fills at the end of a measure, adding an acoustic touch to a thoroughly electric and synthesized soundscape. The title track featuring Amnea dives straight into the action, revisiting the computer interface for further data entry. The amount of varied, unique and varnished sonic details - screeches here, saw waves there, color everywhere - is truly impressive, creating an involved take on DnB. 

"Weasel" sounds just as good as one would imagine a bass music tune called "Weasel" could sound; even better, in fact. A jazzy lead melody is borne out over a mid-tempo groove by a flute. After a brief and quiet visit to the computer interface, the track descends into a groove with the melody taking the lead, this time sung by a crunchy synthesizer instead of a flute, though the woodwind makes a reprise to converse with a soaring electric guitar later. The flute also makes a return in the EP's final track, "Prince of Darkness" a spooky, waltzing tune that in tempo and tenor is far from where the EP began. Ovoid uses the flute, less as a thin, accompanying sample and more as a lead instrument, which refreshes the palate when taken with such a thoroughly electronic meal. 

Ovoid's offering is true to its name, a musical abstraction that allows one to depart momentarily from his or her usual atmosphere and into a world of colorful, half-conceptualized thoughts borne out in melody. The production prowess displayed by Ovoid will not be lost on the diligent listener, and the material is truly so unique that it can be revisited over and over again, and unlike the avocado which you just bought ripe yesterday, it will still be fresh. 

FOLLOW Ovoid:   Website   /   Facebook   /   Soundcloud   /   Bandcamp   /   Instagram 

Lo-Fi Sundays 009 - iamalex

Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, Alexander Christoph Wiese a.k.a. iamalex has been dropping warm, soulful beats - the musical equivalent of comfort food - for just under a year according to his Soundcloud; the blink of an eye, but enough time to land on compilations from some of contemporary Lo-Fi's most outstanding imprints like Chillhop Music, Hip Dozer, Inner Ocean Records, and Saikei Collective. 

Beats from iamalex differ from other Lo-Fi offerings. Each is a fully-formed composition, which is not to suggest that the one-minute piano and drum snips so integral to Lo-Fi are not valuable. But the length, complexity, musicality, and at times the lyrical content of iamalex tunes defines each as its own distinct entity. This is most apparent on the producer's recent work, Treetop Hotel EP, with a three-minute song like "Memories" The gorgeous, melancholic lyrics and catchy guitar lick create a bright and accessible pop vibe, but the song is anchored with the dusty, chopped traditional trappings of Lo-Fi.

Our favorite cut from the producer is "Together", featured on Inner Ocean Record's prolific tape Bless Vol. 1. There's an idea germinating behind this beautiful music. "I think there are two things within the human being, as there is in myself," a woman's voice says. "They want to be alone, but they also want to be together." The melody, composed of warped guitar and key samples, is just sublime. Layers of soft synth bass, and a bass guitar sample are introduced underneath, buoying the melody from kick to snare as it hammers away at the emotional fortitude of the listener. Coated with chimes and glittering keys, this one creates a slight psychedelic and cerebral atmosphere that is irresistible.

Iamalex's drums always knock, with adept side-chain compression on the kicks setting off clean, popping snares embellished with a whooshing effect.  Tunes like "The Joy" and "The Breeze and Beatrice" showcase an exceptional talent for identifying soul samples, both vocal and instrumental. The latter tune, also featured on Treetop Hotel EP even treads into the waters of electro-soul with a conversant flute sample, violins, and aching blues vocals. All this materials combines into highly-developed colorful collages more musically dynamic than traditional Lo-Fi. 

Stay chooned to iamalex and explore his offering. In the expansive universe of Lo-Fi production his beats are a cut above, and they're beginning to generate a wider response online, particularly since the producer has been able to link up with so many popular labels. His craftsmanship only seems to be improving, but for now, kick back on another lazy - or perhaps industrious - Sunday, and enjoy the vibes which this special producer has to offer.

FOLLOW iamalex:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Instagram

Resonant Language - Nautiloid EP

Colorado-based sonic surveyor Resonant Language delivers an aqueous treat through the Nautiloid EP; a meticulous dance of liquid textures and near-sentient synthesis. It was released through Aquatic Collective, an organization that brings together and highlights "artists channeling inspiration from the beauty of water." In cooperation with The Coral Reef Alliance, proceeds from the download sales of the EP will go towards the conservation of coral reefs world wide.

The root of Nautiloid is nautical, defined as "of or concerning sailors or navigation; maritime." The tambres and tones of the album further this association beyond mere wordplay, combining favored tropes of glitch and neuro with sporadic elements of fluidity and aqua-like textures. The percussion choice and programming is top notch, with a particular flair for musical turnarounds and sequence breaks. Each facet of each track has been dialed in for maximum clarity, and hones in on the aural associations humans have created over generations with our most precious and necessary resource: Water.

FOLLOW Resonant Language:   Soundcloud   /   Bandcamp   /   Facebook

Classic Albums 002: Lusine - Serial Hodgepodge

On November 30, 2004, Lusine released Serial Hodgepodge, an aptly named exploration of the intricacy of sound in music. The third release from the Texas bred producer, Serial Hodgepodge can be viewed (or heard) as a true stream of consciousness. This album moves you through highs and lows - moments of chaos juxtaposed with moments of tranquility. It pulses between ambient soundscapes and hard-hitting dance tracks, exhibiting the wide range of styles which Lusine seamlessly weaves together. Lusine maintains an exciting tempo, and showcases his signature use of ethereal female vocals.

Formerly known as L’usine, which is the French word for The Factory, Jeff McIlwain has proven time and again that emotion-driven stories can be captured and portrayed through manipulating frequency. There is no denying the life that Lusine breathes into each track. The multifaceted layers of each tune on Serial Hodgepodge invite the listener to explore the depths of industrial, mechanical beauty, and with each subsequent playthrough of the album, the sheer level of detail begins to unveil itself.

Lusine is able to jump back and forth among mood and manner while still maintaining a cohesive, complete work. Beginning with the tranquility of ‘Ask You’, Lusine then kicks things up a notch with ‘Slur’, as tempo increases and the mood shifts from peaceful to excited, even frantic. This pattern continues throughout the album, as the tracks alternate between calming soundscapes and mechanical, grungy house bangers.

Both this album and the rest of the Lusine discography have become a staple in any experimental music collection. This is the sound we've come to know and love from Lusine, and with Serial Hodgepodge he has left a significant imprint on electronic music.

Co-Written by Sophie Judson & Katin Shalit

Deez ft. Frequency Fodder - Juice [Premiere]

It's fitting that we cap our coverage of the compilation Neurons Vol. 1 from Elemental Minded Promotions (EMP) by premiering "Juice"  by DeeZ featuring Frequency Fodder. DeeZ, formerly known as Satori and going by Andy Widdecomb by day, mastered all 11 tracks on the compilation. Frequency Fodder, a friend of Andy's with mega modular synth capabilities, is a relative newcomer whose contributions to this track leave us looking for more of his work. 

"Juice" is led by a wonky piece of synthesis that sounds once like a psychedelic talkbox, and again like the shuffling of a metallic deck of cards. Distinct and mastered to crystal clarity, it offers a unique tingle for the ear. According to Andy, the pair recorded an hour of audio with Frequency Fodder's Eurorack modular synth rig, which Andy then chopped and arranged into the squelchy, maneuvering delight you hear in the track. 

Having worked with Elemental Minded Promotions for over three years, DeeZ is a pillar of the EMP family. Years ago, Andy struggled to juggle work, production and performing, a dilemma faced by countless musicians and not an easy one to remedy. It was at this time that Tyler Hettel, EMP founder, began managing DeeZ. "It was great timing and really helped me continue moving forward," Andy says. 

For over five years Andy has been practicing the art of mastering music. "I started doing it for two reasons," he says. "One, because I needed to put rough masters on tunes that weren't finished in order to play them live, and two, I wanted to have a better understanding of how it works." Putting a glossy veneer on complex bass frequencies is no small challenge, but it's one Andy has risen to.

The practice also informed his production process. "When I first started, I would notice problems in the mixdowns of my tunes when compressing/limiting them. Now that I know these things cause issues when the tune is mastered, I try to keep these common problems in mind when producing."

For his part, Frequency Fodder is a self-described "Eurocrack fiend", alluding to his synthesizer setup and an apparent addiction to it. You can see and hear more of this rig through some absolutely jamming clips on Frequency Fodder's Instagram, linked below.

We can apparently expect more collaboration from these two in the future. This is great news, as after a few listens to their contribution on Neurons Vol. 1, it's clear who's got the juice at the moment. 

FOLLOW DeeZ:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook    /   Instagram   /   Twitter

FOLLOW Frequency Fodder:   Youtube   /   Instagram 

79 Ancestors [Profile]

Last week we put out a spotlight on the duo A.M. Architect, who just released Color Field, an audiovisual album composed of 10 tracks and accompanied by a 15 minute short film, released through the interdisciplinary label 79Ancestors. Today, we want to take the time tell you some more about what the label is up to and those involved behind the scenes.

79Ancestors is a record label that was launched in 2016 by Benjamin Wynn, Anthony Ciannamea and Yaniv De Ridder. In their words, “79Ancestors is a hybrid label focused on the production of highly-personal objects and experiences, designed by artists working at the intersection of music composition, performance, cinema and code”. Their first LP release, A Soundtrack to Imaginary Landscapes is a compilation album of eight different musicians including Shigeto, Telefon Tel Aviv and A.M. Architect. If one purchased the vinyl early, it was bundled with a customized 79A Cardboard Virtual Reality viewer (that is now sold out). The goal is that, eventually, each of these songs will have an accompanying visual element to be viewed in virtual reality. Thus far, there is one released for Shigeto’s song (watch here), and four other “episodes” are in the works.

Benjamin Wynn aka 'Deru' by Tim Navis

Anthony Ciannamea is both a filmmaker and designer, and currently runs the design and motion studio EFFIXX. Ciannamea has an impressive history of work in the creative field and has collaborated with many artists, including Prefuse 73 and members of Ghostly International. Ciannamea and Benjamin Wynn have worked closely together on many projects and 79Ancestors is just the latest from these two.

Commonly known as Deru, Benjamin Wynn is a musician who wears many hats. His life of music began in college where he earned a degree in music technology at the California Institute for the Arts. Since then, he has scored for film and television, composed for a ballet called Genus, and released a plethora of albums. Wynn is constantly pushing boundaries, and the more one delves into his work, the more this becomes evident.

The flyer for the third installment of The Echo Society. March 12, 2015

Benjamin Wynn has released four LPs under his Deru project, and there is word that the next album will be released in early 2018. Avid fans of Deru will tell you that his music leans towards atmospheric-based beats with a keen edge for sound design, infused with elements from a multitude of other genres, including trip-hop and IDM. The emotion, texture, clicks, and glitches within his ethereal beats simultaneously uplift and catalyze a longing for the past. It is this dichotomy in Deru’s music that makes it so unique and fascinating.

Beyond Wynn’s personal projects, he is also a founding member of The Echo Society, a non-profit collective of seven Los Angeles-based composers. Anthony Ciannamea as EFFIXX is also a member of The Echo Society, and serves as a lead visual designer. This collective presents one-night-only performances of visual and sonic art, both orchestral and electronic. So far there have been six installments in this series.

The creation of 79Ancestors was inspired by Deru’s concept album, 1979, which also alludes to the name of the record label. It was this project that convinced the founders that listeners are willing to engage more deeply with music, whether that is through visual reality, through a tangible artifact, or through a different lens. This is the intention of this label, to take the idea of an album and to elevate and expand it.

It is clear that 79A is pushing artistic boundaries and will continue the marriage of sonic art with other forms. 79A values the magic of collaboration and the potential of a collective of creative and passionate minds. We are excited to follow along and see what this label has in store; this is only the beginning.

FOLLOW:   79Ancestors   /   The Echo Society   /   Deru - Website & Listen   /   EFFIXX   /   Color Field - A.M. Architect

Neurons Vol. 1: Keota - Wook Flu [Single]

By playing big billings and releasing a consistent stream of singles, KEOTA has remained steady on our radar throughout 2017, and he's elevating again today with "Wook Flu", the ninth track off Neurons Vol. 1, the superb compilation from Elemental Minded Promotions' (EMP). 

KEOTA a.k.a. Tom Brennan is the most recent addition to the EMP family. Though he's never had more than a "wook cold" himself, his effort on Neurons Vol. 1 is undoubtedly sick. KEOTA usually cuts and samples vocals to dramatic and often humorous effect. The choppy vocals in "Wook Flu" serve as another sonic element, instruments in themselves that bounce off a heavily broken beat, dizzying the listener. The synthesizer play is ill. Moist and fine cut synths are nothing new for KEOTA, who has been seriously producing for four years. The synthesis on "Wook Flu", however, is particularly filthy. Tom tell us it's the first tune he's released employing a new FM8 synthesizer. 

Northeastern heads will not want to miss KEOTA performing this Thursday, November 30th at the Middle East Downstairs in Boston with a stacked lineup featuring Jade Cicada, Kll Smth, Smigonaut, and Secret Recipe presented by Rezinate. Speaking of Rezinate, the Boston-based production company released a deep mix from KEOTA just yesterday, which you can listen to here.

The entirety of Neurons Vol. 1 is almost out, but stay chooned. We'll highlight one more choice cut from the compilation this Wednesday (full track list below).

1. Pluto Era - Nautilus
2. tsimba & Smigonaut - Headspace
3. Maxfield - Little Death In The Morning Sun
4. Scatz - Illgamesh
5. iX - Desert Form
6. Jizzy Fra - Sensi Star Dub
7. Face Plant - French Press
8. Phydra - Particle Board
9. Keota - Wook Flu
10. DeeZ - Juice ft. Frequency Fodder
11. Zoo Logic - Void

Follow KEOTA:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Bandcamp   /   Instagram 

KEOTA a.k.a. Tom Brennan is the most recent addition to the EMP family. Though he's never had more than a "wook cold" himself, his effort on Neurons Vol. 1 is undoubtedly sick. KEOTA usually cuts and samples vocals to dramatic and often humorous effect. The choppy vocals in "Wook Flu" serve as another sonic element, instruments in themselves that bounce off a heavily broken beat, dizzying the listener. The synthesizer play is ill. Moist and fine cut synths are nothing new for KEOTA, who has been seriously producing for four years. The synthesis on "Wook Flu", however, is particularly filthy. Tom tell us it's the first tune he's released employing a new FM8 synthesizer. 

Northeastern heads will not want to miss KEOTA performing this Thursday, November 30th at the Middle East Downstairs in Boston with a stacked lineup featuring Jade Cicada, Kll Smth, Smigonaut, and Secret Recipe presented by Rezinate. Speaking of Rezinate, the Boston-based production company released a deep mix from KEOTA just yesterday, which you can listen to here.

The entirety of Neurons Vol. 1 is almost out, but stay chooned. We'll highlight one more choice cut from the compilation this Wednesday (full track list below).

1. Pluto Era - Nautilus
2. tsimba & Smigonaut - Headspace
3. Maxfield - Little Death In The Morning Sun
4. Scatz - Illgamesh
5. iX - Desert Form
6. Jizzy Fra - Sensi Star Dub
7. Face Plant - French Press
8. Phydra - Particle Board
9. Keota - Wook Flu
10. DeeZ - Juice ft. Frequency Fodder
11. Zoo Logic - Void

Follow KEOTA:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Bandcamp   /   Instagram 

Lo-Fi Sundays 008 - ØDYSSEE

Bringing some sweet relief from the caloric heroism of the annual Thanksgiving weekend, ØDYSSEE is serving up a recovery dish of piping hot beats to help digest all of that stuffing and mashed potatoes. Pulling influences from the staples of jazz, blues, R&B, and boom-bap, his tracks have an undeniable attitude; smoking steady in the lower east side while rolling down Second Avenue. A Parisian by residency, but a Beast-coaster by spirit, this cool cat is sure to keep your head nodding steady and your heart warm on these chilly afternoons.

FOLLOW ØDYSSEE:   Soundcloud   /   Bandcamp   /   Spotify   /   Facebook

Alon Mor - Long Awaited Journey

Warping into existence at the end of last week, aural virtuoso Alon Mor released his highly anticipated sophomore album, Long Awaited Journey. It is without equal or comparison in the spectrum of human musical endeavors, combining distinct motifs from classical compositions, jazz arrangements, sonic atmospheres, and wonderfully deranged synthesis. His haunting and imaginative soundscapes paint themselves within the listener's mind as distinctly vibrant, emotional, and conscientious adventures, representing a sensory syntax espoused by humans since man first realized his connection the auditory world.

Each song on the album is intertwined in a multitude of genres, manifesting musical colorations far beyond the scope of the proto-typical electronic music producer; To simply call Alon Mor a "producer", or even just the blanket term "musician", is to do him an unforgivable disservice. Each title that can be used to describe a man of his talents and creative output seems to fall far short of the mark. Thankfully, Alon himself vocalizes his preferred title best: "My music is me."

To dive into the album is to dissociate from your immediate auditory and conscious surroundings: it is a straight drop from reality into one of the deeper musical rabbit holes in existence. It transports you from the steep, blood-red plateaus of the desert to the melancholy view of a rainy day through dusty windows. Every step along the way is wrought with melodious twists and turns that gather inertia, slingshotting off of every din and chime, culminating in explosive, orchestral releases that quickly drown amongst a vicious torrent of sound design that seems like the call-to-arms of some far-off space-aged civilization. You become the audience, the orchestra, the conductor, the tension, and the release. 

The music of Alon Mor is a riddle, wrapped up in a mystery, shrouded in an enigma; it is not meant for those who find comfort in the mundane, but instead for the brave explorers and pioneers of emotion, sensuality, and cognition. An audiophile's paradise, Long Awaited Journey is but the next step in a life-long endeavor to manifest every tangent of musicality and coalesce all of it into an interlocking matrix of exploratory sonic deliverance. 

"As a little boy, I used to spin round and round and make noises. Everybody called it 'explosions'. But 'they' didn’t understand me. My grandmother once said, 'He never stopped making explosions; he started making music.'" - Alon Mor

FOLLOW ALON MOR:   Bandcamp   /   Spotify   /   Soundcloud   /   Facebook

Lo-Fi Sundays 007 - Lao Wai 老外

Hip-Hop is a global community, and this truth is apparent in the music and life of producer Lao Wai. The producer - whose real name is Adan Kohnhorst - was born in California, raised on classical music in the Netherlands, and currently resides in Shanghai, China where he catalogs and participates in the nation’s nascent hip-hop scene. 

Lao Wai is Chinese for “foreigner”, a term of endearment or derision depending on the context. While Adan may have entered Shanghai as a foreigner, he’s since familiarized himself with the city, and the city has become familiar with him. In addition to producing music Adan breakdances, freestyles, practices Kung-Fu and edits a digital magazine that sends raw Chinese stories and culture across the Pacific to the United States. 

Having lived in New York City and Texas as well as the far East, Lao Wai’s music is influenced by the locale in which it was created. Let us take his most recent EP Shanghai Electric Moonlight as an example. As Adan tells us:

Shanghai is present in all the music I make. There’s this big, long overpass that goes over the main river, and on the weekends the whole thing lights up neon blue. It’s a weird thing for an overpass, but pretty poetic in its own way. I’ve ridden one million cabs home over the bridge late at night, so that image ended up being tied to this project.

Or for another example, see the tracks “Loisaida” and “Haarlem Summer”, both referencing different neighborhoods in our beloved Big Apple and both put forth with a bit more soul sampling and boom-bap than his Shanghai creations. 

The amazing thing about New York is that the whole city kind of runs on hip hop. There’s a hip hop pulse everywhere, in a completely organic way, and that’s because it’s where the music comes from. But when you’re coming off the subway and there’s a crew of poppers [break dancers] putting on a show, or you’re in the park and there’s a cypher happening and people are all jumping in spitting bars, that’s a totally different environment from most of the world. 

With earlier beats Adan wanted to prove that he could recreate the golden era hip-hop sound he admired. With his most recent EP he sought to step outside of that framework. This inspired cuts like “25i Space Dream” and “Sunset at Sagami Bay” which are more ethereal, built on trap music percussion, but with a more atmospheric and less aggressive vibe than the word ‘trap’ usually connotes. It’s a sublime sound to daydream to, with traditional lo-fi textures trying the whole project together. 

That’s not to say Lao Wai won’t return to his golden-era hip-hop roots in the future. Classic funk and soul samples are foundational within his music, and he just picked up some quintessential beat gear. “I just got my hands on an SP-404SX sampler, and we’re still in the honeymoon phase right now. I love this thing. It’s my first time making music completely without a computer … so pretty soon we’ll be seeing a beat tape or at least some singles entirely done on the device.”

It’s undeniable that location influences one’s creativity, exemplified by the unique lo-fi offering of Lao Wai. "I like making beats because it deals with the pure, aesthetic beauty of instrumentation, and it’s so up for interpretation," Adan says. We could not agree more, and while we revel in his most recent EP and bump his older NYC-bred jams, we’ll stay chooned to interpret his future lo-fi vibes born in Shanghai.

FOLLOW Lao Wai:   Soundcloud

Scatz Tells Tales with "Illgamesh" off Neurons Vol. 1 Compilation

Considered one of mankind's earliest great stories, the Epic of Gilgamesh is a 4,000-year old Mesopotamian tale of an archetypal hero king. Thus the sonic storyteller Scatz is bold to parlay this piece of history into the name of his newest tune,  "Illgamesh", the fourth track from Elemental Minded Promotions' thick 11-part compilation Neurons Vol. 1. New cuts from the compilation will continue to drop on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays throughout November. 

The absence of traditional song structure is fundamental to Scatz music. This may give one the impression that the music is another misdirected mess of bass mayhem. On the contrary, by avoiding traditional song patterns Scatz accesses a more fluid form of compostion, creating one-of-a-kind movements - stories - that hold listeners at attention. "I’ve always been passionate about the magical craft and power of storytelling," Scatz tells us. His real name is Mitch Bilodeau, and in addition to producing he co-founded the vital left-field bass platform WUMP Collective with his brother Ronny from their home base in Connecticut. 

 "Illgamesh" darts in all directions. The mythical Mesopotamian king flashes back and forth, felling the Great Cedar with powerful kick drums, slaying the Bull of Heaven with broad and sharp synthesizers, and seeking eternal life with immortal melodies. Chopped samples from Mitch's own voice - "I will live another day" - are manipulated into mere vocal blips, glitching with guitar samples to producing a disorienting effect. The drums are smashing, with a particularly thorough kick. There's a grab-bag of glitches throughout the song, but Scatz maintains space in the mix, generating a laid-back atmosphere during intervals between pounding, somewhat purple bass. "The “ill-” in the title was my attempt to humorously transport the idea of this old figure of lore into the interweb-driven, meme-centric, modern society that we call home," Mitch says. "I like to think @illgamesh would be his Twitter handle if he were around today." 

Ultimately "Illgamesh" is an unconventional take on a sound - bass music -which is, well, unconventional in itself. The tracks adds special flavor to the already dynamic Neurons Vol. 1. Stay chooned to The Rust throughout November as we highlight more choice cuts from the compilation (full tracklist below).

1. Pluto Era - Nautilus
2. tsimba & Smigonaut - Headspace
3. Maxfield - Little Death In The Morning Sun
4. Scatz - Illgamesh
5. iX - Desert Form
6. Jizzy Fra - Sensi Star Dub
7. Face Plant - French Press
8. Phydra - Particle Board
9. Keota - Wook Flu
10. DeeZ - Juice ft. Frequency Fodder
11. Zoo Logic - Void

Follow Scatz:   Soundcloud   /   Facebook   /   Bandcamp    /   Twitter   /   Instagram

A.M. Architect - Color Field

Hailing from San Antonio, eclectic sound pioneers Diego Chavez and Daniel Stanush are the duo behind A.M. Architect. The breadth and scope of their artistic prowess seems limitless, blending together a diverse palette of lush, floral tones, pinpoint sound design, meticulously mutated foley, and their own skillsets as cinematographers and motion graphics designers. On November 11th, 2017, A.M. Architect released Color Field, an extensive downtempo journey through the sonic multiverse. In tandem with the musical release, the duo released an accompanying short film and a special “artifact” to bring a personification to the spirit of the LP.

The album is an interwoven matrix of tonal blends, nuanced percussive elements, and atmospheric colorations that speak to a softer side of the human musical spectrum. Each song is its own gift-wrapped adventure. Every moment of tension and point of release is entirely unique and curated to fit the motif like a tailored suit. A mesmerizing flourish of pianos, synthesizers, guitars, disembodied vocals, and subterranean bass lines mesh together to create this auditory masterpiece.

The accompanying video, also entitled “Color Field”, is a melancholy immersion into the ethos of the Color Field album. It opens with a woman in her bathroom staring into the mirror with a pervasive sense of situational abandonment. All comfort is thrown out the window in favor of hair-splitting anxiety. As the film progresses, the woman listens to instructional tapes created by an entity known as “The Spectra Institute”, which seek to explain an experimental therapy that claims to rid the user of self-doubt, lethargy, and painful life experiences.

“At the Spectra Institute, our sensory enhancement programs are structured to help you exist at your fullest potential. Memories connected to a physical or emotional trauma are held by circuitries in the limbic system. These memories can be accessed through reflections, refractions, inflections, and specific wavelengths of light.” What began as an incredibly muted color pallet gradually begins to expand and increase, following the trope of discovery, a return to situational awareness. The films’ thesis presents itself when the woman begins to read a book, entitled “Light on the Path”, and a small newspaper clipping falls out. The headline reads “Will man see more than he knows?”, with the address for the Spectra Institute. It implies a kind of awakening, a form of realization wherein man might leave Plato’s cave of ignorance, and be touched by the light of emotional truth and healing. It is an astounding visual companion to the album, making the release a multi-sensory experience of top-flight design.

As an added token, a limited number of audio-visual “artifacts” have been released, alongside an accompanying 20-song extended soundtrack. The artifact is a visual fx processor that creates gradient, chromatic environments and can be hooked up to larger screens and speaker equipment to amplify the experience. It is variation on a similar device seen in the short film that engages the user’s emotional memory. Altogether, it is the final touch on this artistic exploration of the senses and their interconnectedness.

A.M. Architect continues to push the envelope of arrangement, composition, production, sampling, and the interplay of art mediums with an unparalleled grace and focus. Color Field is an ode to our emotional sensibilities, and the very human ties that bind us to our memories and experiences. Keep an eye out for future releases from A.M. Architect through the multi-medium art label, 79ancestors.

FOLLOW A.M. Architect:   Soundcloud   /   Spotify   /   Bandcamp   /   Facebook