Designed to offer an ambient and provocative audio journey, defined as the soul’s conversation with the self, this EP from producer duo Phantomsoul gifts listeners an epic and near-meditative audio journey, complete with lyrical guidance, poetry, depth, and passionate, entrancing performances.
Snake kicks things off and highlights from the offset an expressively unique and intentional style of production. The heavy beat contrasts with the lightness of the surrounding samples and sounds, and meanwhile – an unexpectedly gritty, soulful leading voice appears in short bursts to intrigue and poetically guide you through a series of thoughts and feelings. Creativity and emotion lead the way here, concern free but purely dedicated to creating a moment that matters, and that works for the listener. The rising intensity of this track is powerful, a really well-crafted and quite stunning song – the perfect way to begin the album.
Leading now with a more spacious and emotional delicacy, Death & Living emerges as a minimalist, dreamlike yet deeply thoughtful piece, one that partly feels inspired by the trip-hop-soul aura of acts like Jamie Woon. A beautiful piece of music and performance, this song introduces early on a different side to the duo. Professionalism and a clear love for and connection to music balances well. There’s an intimacy and indeed purity to the track, which connects on a fairly profound level following the subtle weight of the opener.
From Divine through Shift the project draws you deeper into this thoughtful cavern of emotion and self-reflection. This is done both artistically, by detailed, considerate sound design, and vocally – by lyricism and subtle, genuine soul. The latter song seems all the more vulnerable than anything before, showcasing a sense of personal revelation and a deep-running desire to connect.
Within Reach is a notable musical stand out for the sheer colour and brightness of the soundscape as it rains down around you. The beat kicks in, an RnB style vocal seems familiar and accessible – there’s a sense of movement and consistency here that feels a little more mainstream than everything else; though not so much so that it robs Phantomsoul of their inherently expressive, heartfelt tone.
What’s On Your Mind follows on and re-injects a certain sultry and reflective mood – a steady groove, short lines and a quickly impressive vocal development. Hints of detail add subtle intricacies and help build a lasting dynamic that’s easy to escape within. Then to finish, Oblivion is an easy highlight from the whole album – a memorable and striking piece of music and performance. The song all at once provides the warmth of a multi-layered ambiance, and the soul and spirit of a leading voice that again reaches out to connect in an engaging and soothing fashion.
Truth be told, you can trust in and rely upon this entire playlist – whenever the weight of the world gets a little too overbearing. These are the tracks that will envelop and calm you; as well as seeking to understand, and simultaneously be understood, so as to build a sense of oneness and unity. Beautiful music, mildly nostalgic but currently refreshing and clearly ahead of the game.
Visit their Website for more information. Find & follow the producers on Instagram – Jordan Stafford, Jon Connor.
