Will by Julianna Barwick

May 9, 2016 Justin AnastasioJulianna Barwick, WillLeave a comment

A woman stands in a blank world, head down, eyes closed. She lifts her head and starts to sing, projecting her voice into the boundless nothingness. She begins to gently sway from side to side, as she’s steadily wrapped in the solitary sound. Her singing becomes a patch of grass upon which she stands; her singing becomes a lake that extends outward from the grass; her singing becomes the sky above everything. Her singing fills the world, like watercolors . . .

We all possess a musical instrument from the moment we enter this world, the first instrument to birth any trace of mellifluous sound: the human voice. Some singers simply translate the potency of emotions, while others fall into a rarer category of artists that create their own emotional realms with endless exploration and innovation. Will is the newest full-length from Brooklyn-based vocal experimentalist Julianna Barwick.

Armed with a bevy of synthesizers and a voice as piercingly pristine as an icy lake, Barwick constructs undulating swirls of achingly gorgeous sound that envelop listeners, transporting them to vast new worlds where loneliness becomes a communal experience. She loops and alters her wordless singing with effects, creating angelic harmonies that swell like ocean waves over atmospheric synth and piano melodies.

Although it’s more sparse and raw than her previous releases, Will excels because of those exact same components. Like Grouper, Barwick is a mastermind with building a sense of space in her compositions, and this record shows off her unique ability to fill that space with elements that appear as natural and organic as the world that surrounds us. If you’re seeking meditative, vocal-centered experimentalism, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

A History With Samus by Odeko

May 6, 2016 Justin AnastasioA History With Samus, OdekoLeave a comment

Rain falls from ominous clouds and seeps through a canopy of cherry blossoms. Droplets kiss your forehead as you stare up into the plethora of pink and white flowers. You begin to search for better shelter, walking down a path surrounded by the floral trees, and after a short while stumbling upon the entrance to a shrine. You step inside the stone enclosure, and kneel before the statue of an ancient warrior. The rain is joined by the boom of thunder . . .

Whoever makes the argument that instrumental electronic music lacks the ability to invoke real emotions clearly hasn’t done their research. Some of the most gorgeous and poignant melodies can be crafted with the innumerable voices of a computer, and some artists are becoming masterminds at infusing those melodies into songs that hit as hard as they caress. A History With Samus is the newest release from Welsh producer Odeko.

Ushered in by the sound of gentle rain, these four tracks take the listener on a beautiful, albeit brief journey through Japanese-inspired electronica. The melancholic “Setsuko” and the bittersweet “Sugar Acid” glide above hip-hop beats, while centerpiece “The Yamato Spring” is a towering slow burn consisting of cascading, chill-inducing melodies. Closer “Tsundoku” drops the curtain with a sublime call-and-response between synths.

Given its petite size, this record is a stunning collection of ideas that mix organic passion with synthetic beauty. Although not a word is spoken, it leaves the listener with feelings similar to those that arise while experiencing the soulful heartache of artists like James Blake, Jamie Woon, and Active Child. It’s an impressive glimpse into a unique mind. If you’re seeking organic, emotive electronica, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Everybody’s Heart Is Broken Now by Niki and the Dove

May 4, 2016 Justin AnastasioEverybody's Heart Is Broken Now, Niki and the DoveLeave a comment

A door slams behind you, condemning you to the chill night air outside. You sit on the porch steps and lower your head, as a pit forms in your stomach. A neon sign pours light onto the ground in front of you, and your ears catch the vapors of a song thumping from some faraway club. Your toe begins to tap in rhythm with the faint beat, and you lift your head to look at the sign: “LOVE AGAIN. LIVE AGAIN.” You start to walk, in stride, down the city strip . . .

There’s much to be said about artists that switch gears entirely, throwing themselves headfirst in a new direction in order to mine different varieties of emotions. When their music becomes so huge and overflowing with copious detail, sometimes the only thing to do is reel it all back in, focusing solely on the essential, innate elements. Everybody’s Heart Is Broken Now is the newest full-length from Swedish band Niki and the Dove.

A firm departure from their previous album chock full of intricately maximalist compositions, this new release fixates on more minimal, 80’s-inspired pop consisting of warm basslines, lush synths, and tastefully restrained drum rhythms. In addition to assisting Gustaf Karlöf with writing and producing these sunkissed instrumentals, singer Malin Dahlström owns these soulful songs with her powerfully compelling voice.

Everybody’s Heart Is Broken Now is about just that: heartbreak. But instead of directing the spotlight only on romance and the dissolution of it, the duo expand their thinking to a more worldly definition of the term. The group touch on the loss of innocence, the loss of care for fellow individuals, and they do so in a gutsy way, inspiring listeners to feel, to care, to fight, to live. If you’re seeking glossy, compelling pop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

The Impossible Kid by Aesop Rock

May 2, 2016 Justin AnastasioAesop Rock, The Impossible KidLeave a comment

You duck your head to avoid the low ceiling in this sewer pipe, walls dripping with grime and who knows what. A green light flickers at the end of this stretch in the sewer system, the only light you’ve seen for a long while. You emerge into the chamber where the light lives, an altar of some sort. The light grows brighter, revealing the decorations that adorn the filthy walls: bones, and vines that traverse surfaces like veins. A winged creature steps onto the altar . . .

It’s that time again for me to gush about an artist that simply can do no wrong in my eyes. Lyricism is at the core of hip-hop; it’s the foundation upon which the poetry-laden genre built its legacy, the variable by which all of its performers are compared, but no one, and I do mean no one, can match this mastermind’s caliber when it comes to this skill. The Impossible Kid is the newest full-length from New York-born artist Aesop Rock.

Polygraph released a study comparing the vocabularies of hip-hop lyricists, and Aes was off the chart by a long shot. This is an individual that revels in cryptic turns of phrase, intricate rhyme schemes, and gut-wrenching storytelling, alongside some of the most captivating instrumentals produced anywhere (which he made). Each song holds as much substance as a dense piece of literature, and can be analyzed as such.

More transparently autobiographical than his previous releases, The Impossible Kid feels like a curtain has been raised to reveal a more vulnerable, more intensely personal side of this singular artist. His storytelling prowess is just as awe-inspiring and emotive as ever, if not more so, and it’s a blast extracting every morsel from the nooks and crannies of this stellar record. If you’re seeking powerful, enigmatic hip-hop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

EARS by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

April 29, 2016 Justin AnastasioEARS, Kaitlyn Aurelia SmithLeave a comment

The sun peaks through the leafy canopy above, pouring droplets of light onto the forest floor below. Flowers of every color begin to bloom as they’re kissed by the sunlight, and water starts to flow through the dry streams. Creatures chirp and buzz about as the warmth invades their slumber, filling the world with euphonious noise. You drop down from your tree branch, and let your feet carry you along a path that clears as you take each step . . .

The Buchla Music Easel is a mystifying instrument, capable of concocting lush, entrancing soundscapes via modular synthesis. It’s a piece of equipment that requires a large amount of time, effort, and loads of experimentation in order to get a grasp on its bountiful capabilities, making it predominantly off limits for many and an obsession for few. EARS is the newest full-length from LA-based singer/composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith.

Rather than completely relying upon the colorful (figuratively and literally) synthesizer for the entire makeup of these compositions, Smith utilizes its looping arpeggios as backdrops for her aural canvasses containing organic classical instrumentation. The key ingredient here is Smith’s voice, effected and multiplied to create communal harmonies that mesmerize. It’s the sonic equivalent of exploring a vivid forest teeming with life.

Although Smith excels at drawing compelling sounds from her chosen instrument, the real feat is adapting those sounds to a format that’s enjoyable for those listeners that tend to avoid the experimental side of music. This is where she shines the brightest, as both an accomplished songwriter and an ambassador for this delightfully obscure piece of equipment. If you’re seeking lush, synthesized folk, this album is for you.

Not For Press by Tenant

April 27, 2016 Justin AnastasioNot For Press, TenantLeave a comment

You stand within a glass chamber, surrounded by pulsing fluorescent lights of every color. Hanging on strings above you are translucent cubes filled with glowing insects. These bug-like creatures are all that you see when you look through the transparent glass floor beneath you. A cube falls and shatters on the ground, releasing the flying creatures into the air. More cubes fall, and the chamber is steadily filled with a buzzing swarm of colored lights . . .

The beauty of composing via electronic instrumentation is that producers are able to indulge every creative whim they conceive, no matter how outside-the-box or off-kilter they may be. Even with this bountiful freedom, many artists constrain their output by attempting to squeeze inside genre-specific boxes, but that certainly isn’t the case here. Not For Press is the newest release from New Yorker Drew Lustman as Tenant.

Shedding his FaltyDL moniker for this EP, Lustman continues to craft the electronic eclecticism for which he’s known. Each of these six tracks possesses a unique personality that simply cannot be classified under individual genre descriptors. Instead, they constantly contort and delve through elements of house, electro, acid, IDM, breakcore, and more, all while maintaining playfully melodic and glitchy atmospheres.

These songs can easily be consumed as disparate, bite-size pieces, but they also function surprisingly well as one cohesive whole. Even though the differences between the compositions may be abundant, they are threaded together by singular themes: Lustman’s undeniable talent and his irresistibly exuberant, no-holds-barred unpredictability. If you’re seeking eclectic, glitchy electronics, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Sept. 5th by dvsn

April 25, 2016April 25, 2016 Justin Anastasiodvsn, sept 5thLeave a comment

You fall back into a plush beanbag chair, in the middle of a dark room, engulfed in a purple-tinged haze. Silhouettes of writhing bodies fill your altered field of vision, to where you can’t discern where limbs begin or end. A bright purple light emanates from one side of the room, and bass vibrates the carpeted ground. You sink further into your cushiony chamber, and multiple bodies crawl in your direction. You are overcome with a sense of euphoria . . .

Restraint is integral to the spirit of r&b. The silence envelops listeners, planting them in an environment filled with whispers and barely perceptible body movements, where every rhythm and tone accentuates the sultry, perspiration-filled atmosphere. The issue with modern r&b is gender-divisive insensitivity, and that’s where things differ with these guys. Sept. 5th is the newest full-length from Canadian trio dvsn, pronounced “division.”

The three components of the group are vocalist Daniel Daley, and prominent Drake collaborators Paul “Nineteen85” Jefferies and Noah “40” Shebib. This collection contains spacious, hard-hitting arrangements inhabited by one of the most compelling r&b singers of this generation. Sex is most certainly on the brain within these songs, but the group honor the carnal act with delicacy, poise, and a rare melodic maturity.

You won’t find the word “bitch” in this lyric sheet; no rappers make emphatic appearances. Sure, this is music coming from a male perspective, but infallible respect for women is maintained throughout, and Daley is joined by multiple female choruses that harmonize and bolster his performances. This is music celebrating the connection between man and woman. If you’re seeking sultry, graceful r&b, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Pussy’s Dead by Autolux

April 20, 2016 Justin AnastasioAutolux, Pussy's DayLeave a comment

Massive hangar doors slowly rise in front of you, releasing a humid gust that blows your hair back. Inside of the large opening are three black-clothed individuals slumped over their instruments, like deactivated robots. A hooded fourth figure pulls a giant lever behind them before disappearing into the vast darkness of the hangar, and machinery adorning the walls of the enclosure whirrs to life. The three musicians steadily stand erect, and begin to play . . .

“Beauty can be found in madness,” as they say. Elements that seem like they would clash with cacophonous results occasionally surprise and delight, especially when those elements are in the hands of innovative, highly talented individuals that have spent copious amounts of time honing their crafts in many different environments, just like these guys. Pussy’s Dead is the newest full-length from eclectic American band Autolux.

The versatile trio consists of bassist Eugene Goreshter, guitarist/keyboardist Greg Edwards (also known for his cult rock band Failure), and drummer Carla Azar, who plays for Jack White’s all-female solo group The Peacocks. They all sing, and they’re joined and produced by Beyoncé/Run The Jewels collaborator Boots. The result is a delightfully mystifying collection of dreamy psychedelic garage rock/electronic IDM song hybrids.

The level of songwriting prowess contained in these tracks is of a caliber never before heard from this group, and their unique ability to weave disparate influences into something cohesive, disorienting, and compelling is masterful. Autolux have always infused fresh ideas into their releases, but Pussy’s Dead is their clear career apex thus far. If you’re seeking psychedelic, IDM-tinged garage rock, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

The Follower by The Field

April 18, 2016April 18, 2016 Justin AnastasioThe Field, The FollowerLeave a comment

All is utter darkness, yet your ears are engulfed in mechanistic sounds. The sounds are foreign, almost frightening initially, but they adopt a certain charm with the passing of time. The pulsating tones and rhythms are all that you have in the impenetrable blackness, and you learn to love their presence. They contort in minuscule ways, and your ears grow accustom to the small changes in their character. You start to feel like a family, just the loops and you . . .

Life is built from loops, patterns recurring with subtle alterations to keep people mesmerized by repetition. We grow fond of what we know well, and therein lies the secret to the allure of loops in music. Loops have the opportunity to sink deep into a listener’s mind, and the perfect collection of loops could entrance a listener forever. The Follower is the newest full-length from Swedish producer Axel Willner as The Field.

Willner has made his name by hypnotizing listeners with ethereally expansive techno/ambient concoctions. He is a master with subtlety, wringing every drop of feeling from each loop in his arsenal by gradually warping and adding slight accentuations to them. These are dreamy compositions, consisting of warm synth melodies, omnipresent basslines, and pulsing rhythms showered in sublime samples and misty auras.

Like all of Willner’s releases, The Follower is a record to lose yourself in, and it stands as a highlight within a stellar catalogue. These are some of the most flawlessly paced, patient, and melodically rewarding songs to be birthed by this artist, and that’s saying a whole lot when we’re talking about someone like The Field. Loops make the world go ’round. If you’re seeking hypnotic, loop-based techno/ambient, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Mavericks by Sami Baha

April 15, 2016 Justin AnastasioMavericks, Sami BahaLeave a comment

You slide into the backseat of a black cadillac, smoke billowing out of the rolled-down windows. Hooded individuals sit in the front seats, bobbing their heads to the sounds that pulse out of the speakers. The engine roars to life, and the car takes off down the street. Suddenly, all movement surrounding you slows to a molasses crawl, and every color is draped in a purple hue. The music slows, and your head begins to sway back and forth . . .

Hip-hop always flourishes in moments of refined subtlety, as each tone is granted its own space to make the most significant impact possible. Sparse compositions leave ample room for a vocalist to revel in, but what if no vocalist is present to fill the void? Mavericks is the newest release from Turkish producer Sami Baha, an artist that needs no vocal presence to craft the most hype-inducing tracks to drop this year.

Having recently moved to London and absorbing the UK bass scenes, Baha is exposed to and well-versed in the art of the low end. These six songs sound gigantic, stuffed to the brim with ground-shaking 808s, skittery trap rhythms, and whimsical synth melodies, all encased in cavernous, bass-heavy atmospheres that swallow the listener whole. Not a note is wasted here, and every second of the fourteen brief minutes is captivating.

These are the kinds of instrumentals that you typically find hidden behind boisterous emcees like Future, Drake, or Young Thug, and the spotlight is usually cast upon their antics. However, when voices are removed from the music, real melodic beauty can be found betwixt the monstrous, club-ready beats, and these sounds take on a whole new meaning. If you’re seeking melodic, bass-heavy hip-hop/trap, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)