Totally unexpected vibes from long-time artist and friend of mine, Sid Hagan. The World In 25 is a project I genuinely dropped everything for this week, a solo venture from the songwriting legend himself, and a creatively experimental one, to say the least.
Here we get eight original compositions, within which Sid explores Arturia and soundscape design in an imaginative, colourful and intentional fashion, and the nostalgia and depth, the rhythms and moods, are all well worth your time. Check it out on Bandcamp as you read.
Retro dance production and fragmented samples let this low-key after-party record ignite a sense of thoughtful escapism. Sid’s close companions have expressed their concerns for his well-being, given this new direction, but the playfulness and artistic shifting is massively appreciated, and frankly, inspiring.
Consider A Groove With It, an extensive opening track, with a latter half that completely redirects this breakbeats aura towards a catchy melodic synth-line and distorted, intensely euphoric peak for each wavelike transition.
Next a Bitter Wind embraces us, psychedelic electronic sounds and tones immersive and dreamlike, an ethereal realm that’s beautifully calming after the energy of the opener, yet not without that essential evolution that makes up much of this album. We wind up somewhere impressively original, light and optimistic, spacious and deeply soothing, for its minimal kind of intimate groove and aura. A personal highlight.
Experimentation takes hold with a cinematic, all-consuming intensity after this, for the boldly unique and unignorable implications and sounds of Everyone Pays. It’s colourful chaos, unsettling yet impossible to turn away from, and once more, Sid has crafted something genuinely original, with these timeless production tools and the classic freedom of the keys.
Gone Again welcomes an intriguing fusion of lightness and weight, industrial rhythms and looping tuneful fragments, a subtle and steady build, some breakdowns, and an underlying beat that’s hypnotic. Then for Hold Me, an eerie kind of retro-electronic distorted tone presents a mellow sense of urgency, slowly approaching a near-reggae-like pace, for another composition that underlines the freedom of expression at the heart of Sid Hagan’s creative approach. .
As is the way with instrumental music, the titles can be mysterious, nudging expectations in a certain direction, but ultimately leaving the resulting journey to the listener’s own imagination. This is true for Neighbors When I Try To Sleep, and in fact, the entirety of The World in 25. This track is another favourite, beautifully fragmented, melodic and gentle, spacious and light, with a structural appeal that both lets the groove work its magic and keep you on your toes in equal parts. It’s a blissful listen, and not at all noisy, as the title might suggest. Another personal favourite.
Taking It Off later presents a touch of intensity and siren-like urgency again, but it’s uncertain, never quite overwhelming, just constantly approaching some kind of invisible peak. Then to finish, Sid delivers a perfectly outlandish and relevant title-track, these wave-like movements from gentle to fuzzy and intense guiding us through the highs and lows of The World In 25. Once again, things change at the midpoint, a new vibe and melody lightening the weight, and these images and ideas, however unique to each, resounding and reminding us of what came to pass here.
I love this change of pace for Sid Hagan. I love the old music, and I love the playfulness and creativity that lets him choose to make sounds and audio escapism in any and all forms. We should all be enjoying the fruits of creativity as musicians, and not feel so limited by expectation or what came before. Nor should we be so swayed by the opinions of others, whether good or bad – it should be our choice to use our time as we like, creatively, while we can, and hopefully we’ll have something to show for it at the end; something we’re ultimately a fan of, and rightfully proud of.
The World In 25 is an incredibly inventive array of instrumental tracks, an interesting collection of reflections on the modern world, expressed in retro, yesteryear tones, but with new and engaging compositional value, letting each piece modestly capture attention, and confidently hold on to it.
