An artist seemingly lightyears ahead of many of his peers in terms of everything from musicality to flow to lyrical framing & conceptualisation.
Music
Emanating emotion from the outset, this aptly-titled new EP from artist & songwriter Itami quickly sets a deeply passionate, ambient & thoughtful mood.
All at once encapsulating the mood of the year, and offering a musically soulful, rhythmically smooth hit of escapism; with bold & beautiful vocals to lead us through the story-line.
Ambient hip hop with dreamlike production & emotive story-telling – Kilo takes on the sound of the moment in a refreshingly authentic, thoughtful way.
The music is all at once joyful & disconcerting – a fascinating trait that seems to appear intermittently throughout much of this project.
As the soundscape envelops listeners, surrounding them with heavy bass-work & multiple layers yet still plenty of cleverly incorporated space, the voice pours through as a clear guiding light.
In true artistic fashion, this cover doesn’t simply copy the musical elements of the song, but rather – adopts the central emotion and intention of it, and applies that to a fresh perspective & style.
Comparison is the lifeblood of most reviews, but apart from the nods to other artists and songs already mentioned above, Astoria sits quite comfortably in a an alt-country / rock / folk pocket all on its own. Leo Harmonay sounds very comfortable and accomplished in that skin and the breadth of his vision is impressive indeed.
Superb acoustic guitar work guides us into this stylish alternative folk album from artist and songwriter Nate Newburn.
Experimental sound-design and a clearly emotive approach to musicianship unite beautifully throughout this ambient, immersive & deeply provocative journey that is Slightly Unhappy Constantly.
Featuring a relentless rap verse that begs for more than one listen, Deranger delivers at a breathless pace, faultlessly meandering with absolute confidence throughout the various stages of this story.
Building up immediately from industrial intrigue to explosive, immersive dance realms, Neverend is a heavy & infectious alternative track, which starts off in one style and quickly redirects things as the production & concept increasingly envelop.