Producer and artist Brent Walker, founder of the solo project Fearless Union, has created a conceptual EP fit to accompany the deepest needs for escapism and contemplation alike.
Propaganda Holotape, beginning with the intro of the same name, promptly delivers a blistering industrial soundscape, complete with a sci-fi-soaked monologue, which proceeds to round up the masses amidst this whirling chaos of topical, compelling subject matter.
You’re drawn in from the offset, and the music and rising intensity of the vocal continue to envelop you – weaving this web of conceptual poignancy around you all the more so throughout the composition’s short run-time.
Running For Dictator follows, creativity instantly showing its face as a new mood and brand of cinematic sound design emerges. The overall style is the same – it makes sense here, but now we have a touch of rhythm, a hip hop style vocal with equal rhythm and intention; distant and quiet.
Elsewhere we get fragments of bass, laughter, lashings of contrast and unique structural strength. Then comes the rising intensity, that chaos again, proceeding to fill the room and swallow up any ounce of misguided complacency. You can’t help but consider leadership, the current state of our times; your own role within it all. This, much like the opener, is a song with subtle yet dense lyricism – the sort that will reach out and grab you more notably with each revisit. A touch of Fatboy Slim-esque, dance-ready sound-play stands tall during the latter half.
A personal favourite from the collection is the circus-like, Mad Max insanity and colour of New Mundi. Featuring a touch of familiar melody, distorted and somewhat warped, the piece balances comforting rhythms with again cinematic, conceptually unsettling references and sounds. The voice is superb here, expressive and mildly theatrical – perfectly in keeping with the overall vibe. This one is something of an alternative indie masterpiece, skillfully highlighting a state of beautiful chaos in an addictive and increasingly energizing fashion. As the intensity rises, you feel compelled to turn up the volume in unison with it. A stunning composition.
Fearless Union is defiantly a producer we could all do with knowing about right now. Where punk music was once the antidote to a mismanaged government, this kind of creative, intelligent and rightfully fearless production is on track to be our generation’s own remedy to the same kind of inefficiency.
Shadow Of My Grave is another highlight, injecting a welcomed touch of acoustic melody, an anthem-like chorus of voices, and a trip-hop-kissed moment of dreamlike calm that’s more than welcomed at this point in the playlist. Beautiful, with another multi-layered, all-encompassing final quarter that completely takes over your head-space.
Dance vibes continue as a soulful Sunshine brings things to a hypnotic finish. A great way to go out, maintaining unity with the project’s mood and intentions, but highlighting one last side to Fearless Union’s creative personality.
A versatile artist, with a seemingly limitless ear for melody and sound design. Go ahead and lose yourself in Propaganda Holotape this lock-down.
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