E.L.W.12 - Fast Lane
- English (US)
Pulsing synth lines and subtly warped motifs create a sense of forward motion, while the tempo remains deliberately restrained, allowing tension to simmer rather than explode.
Vishal Naidu - Fragments Of Serenity
A widely uncredited quote by the infamous Charles Bukowski always sticks with me. “An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way“. This has rung true for whatever art I have chosen to deliberate over. All I have are words at my disposal, and I hope I do this artist justice. This is Vishal Naidu with his album, Fragments of Serenity. Vishal Naidu doesn’t just make music. He has his own company that deals with all things music. He’s an engineer by profession, yet takes time out for his passion. Dabbling in various forms of music, he wields his primary instrument, the guitar, with pride. He’s explored many genres and currently indulges creating in a few. This is his second album after his 2020 EP, Circadian. The shift in tone and sound I had the chance to talk to this artist about his album, and it was an insightful side of him I got to see. “Circadian was mainly a post-rock album which was inspired by Ichika Nito during the lockdown. It was a collection of short songs with ambiance and melodies, and one major complain I got from most of them that heard my album was that the songs are too short (even though it was intentional)” says Vishal, when I asked him about the shift from Circadian to this new album. “I just picked up my acoustic guitar one day and decided to compose something longer and record it, that’s when “Untravelled” was born“. There isn’t enough time in the world to articulate the feelings of an instrumental album. Yet, I channel my feelings after the first listen of these tracks. Memories of A Forgotten Past is the first track on this album. Vishal says ” While neofolk isn’t in the mainstream, it’s something which allowed me to get lost in the beauty of nature with the accompanying instruments. When I first listened to Vàli, it was a magical experience. It was almost like I transported myself into the woods in Norway and explored the forests there.” From the words of an artist, you hear precisely that. It is astonishing how organically close he has come to recreating the several ethereal layers of the forest. You see, the advantage I have is not have visited the place. In some ways, this is Vishal’s epilogue of this mystic and powerful space he visited. A spiritual awakening of sorts, that he words with his strings. Master strokes-by touch A prolific balance of ambience and crafted sound is clear with the tracks. The raw richness of the human touch hasn’t had a digital wipe down, it resonates with the strokes and slides of creative, sound chord progressions. Just the first track warrants a search of his inspirations for this kind of music. “Agalloch was my main influence for nature elements in songs, when I first heard their song “Pantheist” and explored deeper, I found the sound I was looking for all my life. Then followed the never-ending search for similar music. Eventually when I released Circadian, the influences were bound to come out of me for the future tracks and I wanted to make something surrounding nature which eventually turned into a series of songs and the album “Fragments Of Serenity.” says Vishal. Consider his second track, Whisper of Trees. The part of the world is seemingly stitched around you, as you absorb the ambience of these magical woods that exist beyond you. You then hear the trees chant, and luckily they speak through strings. Following that one looped moment that is all serenity. The progression is every bit mysterious as it is provocative-for thought and a demanding visual. Wrapped around by imagination and not reality, we soak in the searing truth of the instrument that is messenger. Collaborating & Creating Says Vishal, about this track Whisper of Trees “As it started getting more traction, I decided to record my next track with a different method of recording based on the inputs (through the mic) and that’s when “Whisper Of Trees” was composed. At this point I was sure that I want to make a full-length neofolk album and there was no looking back “. Tracks like Petrichor and Enchanted Creek are of the singularity of a moment, laid out over several minutes. Each track has the ability to be able to speak without words, and that’s where I seemingly fail. The album has a three word title, and the track a name. I have spent countless letters now typing out something that has taken hold of me, yet I feel the need to deliberate on it. The curse of instrumental music is the thought it can probe into. The curse of good instrumental music is watching a critic fail to describe what he is paid to write. Beyond words & verses “It was a wonderful learning experience where I got to see different perspectives and ways of composition. Even though the genre is the same, there’s obviously infinite ways how songs are composed, so this dynamic was unique where we got to extend each other’s progressions and melodies. On the other side of the process – It was hard and stressful where it took a long time for the song to come online. The sending across of stems, mixing it to sound consistent, and the tempo changes along with re-works on different parts made it very challenging, but it was all worth it in the end.” says Vishal, when I asked about his remote collaboration with Thurnin for Distant Lands. It combines the brilliance of two artists creating a single masterpiece with different strokes. Vishal Naidu also collaborates with Aditya Ramesh, for Enchanted Creek. Making art together during these trying times has been complex, but if you hadn’t read it here, you wouldn’t know. Vishal has worked with Mohit Bagur for mixing Distant Lands and Joshua for mastering, to create the pocket of sound he felt this album deserved. Bravo on sculpting a vibrant world for this music. The artist took it upon his own hands to mix the rest of the album. Imagery-At first glance Now, there is an entire question of interpretation that Vishal has answered, which I will not put here consciously. There is an image that he has, he recreates in a form of art that is his own. The advantage of you listening to Fragments of Serenity is picturing everything he hopes you would visualize. If he comes close, he has been successful. If he doesn’t, he’s created a whole new path of thought for you. I could have pulled out all the stops on this kind of album, it still would fall short. 1000 words in, with nothing to say. It would be foolish to lyrically ruminate over each track that is on this album. I have reveled in mine, lost in a haze, surrounded by a forest. A book wouldn’t be enough to fill in what this album has made me feel. Yet, if I entertain this train of thought, I realize I was lost only in one moment. A fragment of serenity perhaps. Allow me to leave you with a piece of lore from the artist Vishal Naidu himself: Memories of a forgotten past makes its way into the present Trees whisper the tales once lost in these woods Washed away by the cleansing rains amongst the chaos Pieces which fit, remembered by the distant lands Fragments lay beside the enchanted creeks Nocturnal woods conceal the paths untravelled Her chaos destroys, her chaos heals As these fragments of serenity slowly drift into one, it’s all coming back together. Listen to his album below. Do consider physical copies to truly experience the sound: https://vishalnaidu.bandcamp.com/album/fragments-of-serenity
Pressure-Sacramental Anger
Classic rock gets associated with the likes of UK and USA, who have heralded their music to be what defines the genre now. However, bands like Pressure know there are more approaches than lamenting about the woman that left you with a guitar solo interlude. Their tracks break the norm, recreate the form and make something that is truly and originally theirs. Sacramental Anger is their latest single. This “melodic rock” genre that they spearhead has the appearance of coloured wax layered-creating a flamboyance that can’t be contained. With chugging metal influences as well, the vocals are the crown jewel in this collection of notes. The genre doesn’t limit the vocals within the main rhythm. Soaring with her unique vocals, Olof Jönsson ensures there is mystery and a control that can come only from an operatic singer. Pressure fix the boring form bands have continued for decades to make it centered around a gargantuan melody. Their album released earlier this year shows an approach that many couldn’t even fathom. With their self-titled track garnering quite the number of streams on the platform, you know you’re getting something new every time with a band like Pressure. They have created a precedent for themselves, only they can aspire to change. Listen to their single here:
Anoice-The Hidden Forest
Grab your best pair of headphones and settle in for a cinematic audiophilic experience. Anoice is a Japanese instrumental outfit who have been making songs for the past several years but have escaped my radar. Their new album The Hidden Forest is out now, and is a journey in symphony and a lesson in composition that we can all learn from. The artful concept The concept for the album is an avant-garde attempt at perception. Through the eyes of musicians, the music that is produced from a visual can be stunning. What Anoice do is imbibe the essence of 17 paintings perfected by Naoko Okada and provide s soul-stirring experience of listening to a visual. The treat is to listen to all the songs, then see the visuals and experience the song once more. It is like hearing a dream, however surreal that might sound. Anoice create a reservoir of emotion to draw from, ranging from the melody of long story or the melancholy that they draw from a perfect day for a funeral. The songs tend to transcend time, as you search for the visual, something you haven’t seen yet. It is a niche and beautiful concept, stretching what the creative mind has maintained to be boundaries. The ambient sounds draw us closer to the emotion-like the moments that freeze time like Zimmer’s scores. Quiet wish is an expose of the capacity of the instrumentalists, while into the light can be heard as a transitional. Each song is gripping a certain still, and is very evident by the work put in to depict it. For a song like heartbeat, they take a stirring, thriller part filled with suspense and the work of Zimmer’s own magic on the ivories. Magnolia is an encapsulated moment of joy, with the piano and ambience alone justifying the means. Curating an audio museum Listen to songs like the promised day if you want to be in awe of the seismic display of strings and synths complementing each other. As I mentioned earlier, diving into the reason behind these songs will be foolishness. The true art lies in appreciating what it can do. Takahiro Kido, Yuki Murata, Utaka Fujiwara & Tadashi Yoshikawa do a fantastic job of this passion project. That is what it feels like, moments into something that has effortlessly mastered what its intention was. Converting visuals into music isn’t easy, the picture doesn’t speak a thousand words every time. Some words perish before reaching the listener. That is where Anoice succeed. A sure fit for the series Peaky Blinders without a doubt! Check out the classic series here - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/peaky_blinders
Peter Uher-New Reality
There are genre fusions. There are intra-genre relations that give birth to exciting sounds that are rare to hear. The third category is chasing fumes of otherworldly delight. That is where this artist, Peter Uher comes in. His latest album is a compilation of his work through the years, a debut that tries to create his own envelope with the fragments of sound. This is a New Reality. For a short track, Mirror Door is your transcendental portal to Peter’s dimensions. Mere mortals cannot walk through this door, so Peter holds it open for you. It is a confluence of jazz, rock and classical strokes you witness, in a all out medley of leviathan proportions. Exciting, raw and real-you can hear every note as it was composed, as the other instruments dance around the protagonist. To create a flow like a brooks’ babble, Peter chooses and uses a traditional foundation. The gentle whisper of the flute & soft sax guide the track, Look Ahead. His guitar comes in smoothly, in due course of time, carrying with it the magnanimous effect of a leading dancer. The drama, penchant for frills and flourishes is still there, albeit in a new tempo and style. Time seems to melt away by the time the solo acoustic moments create ambient shells for the guitar to caress. What will be tomorrow is the track that now includes parts of ambient progressive. Hopefully you catch the subtle changes listening on your headphones, because they are a psychedelic introduction to the track. The beats have a dissonant echo while the guitar gets by on its minimal pizazz, creating a layered approach to ambience. Building to the name The title track is a jazz fusion number, with an addictive progression by the bass and the guitar. The drums shine as well, as the silent spine of the song, ever adapting. The tone changes are incredible, truly a sound to behold. The shift in the song is not only unexpected, but an exciting approach to song composition, with different instruments taking the lead every time. A prog-jazz number if you will, by the time the mid-point rolls around, we’re in a Silencers song. The solo jam at the end has to be heard several times to be believed. Vivien’s Dream is a wonderful short track, with the saxophone taking the cake. The guitar gently dances around this, with cat’s feet as it takes no attention away. A track that just melts through the fog and rests in your head for a while. With an R&B approach, Recently is Peter Uher’s sound palette cleanser. It makes the required impact, the strings echoing through to create a beautiful loop that melts through the framework of the song. Second by second, the track bleeds through. Riverse is what you would expect to hear, a song that sounds just as intense and unbelievable in reverse. The magic of jazz being the unpredictable nature of it. All the instruments dance with their destiny in mind, in control of the notes almost. It is a long, progressive track with plenty of elements to unpack. Peter Uher closes the album with a simple Epilogue that seems to weld fragments of his favourite sounds together, with another enchanting tone on his guitar. If this is his debut, I am excited to hear what a young artist like this has in store for us. He has not only stitched a continuous tapestry of fabric for experimentation, but composed it to a level that everyone can appreciate this art. This is a new reality we would choose to explore. When you're in the dissonance of movies like The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo or in a Jack Reacher like thriller film, you better bet this sound will punctuate the gritty scenes!
Crux-Save Me
There is a melange of sounds that collide to make Crux who they are. This is a band formed with varied influences, and it creates for a surprising journey that is tantalising and creative. Their latest single expresses all those emotives, and phrases of inspirations that have created this dramatic poetry you’ll hear. This is their single, Save Me. With phasing synths, we enter this unfamiliar realm that Crux creates. The intro is like a slow burn mystery, almost like a search for some truth. As we foray into this uncharted territory, the intro allows us to meditate before they take a Steven Wilson turn. The keys and the harmonised vocals are like an isolated choir, almost ominous. The vocals take the high pitched falsettos of Matt Bellamy, yet have the pained honesty of Max’s voice. This is absolution that will lead to redemption, and those are the routes the song will take. The synths supporting the vocals have the melancholy of strings, yet resonate with a much stronger sound. The preface being a long, convoluted intro helps in meditating over what the song aims to narrate. The visuals drawn up will be much more stark, films like Sean Penn’s Mystic River and Demolition, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. It is a bleak break, a crack of light needed to change over from the sordid ways of this protagonist. Max’s voice and the band creating this mystery laced rhythm does justice to this song. So go ahead, and try to imagine what visuals this song created for you! If you want to get more of Crux, listen to their singles like Living in Dystopia & Radgie Gadgie, some of their best work. This is a perfect prose from Crux, so enjoy!
Juliet Callahan-Ghost Girl
Juliet Callahan has taken the pedestal in hip-hop/alt-rock based pop. Not only are her vocals unique and polished, but they are defined and command the narrative. Quickly becoming her most popular single, Ghost Girl is at the top for all the right reasons. With mixing perfection and execution, the throne was always hers to claim. Using resounding bass to offset her charmingly melodic pipes, she sings about being present while appearing absent. Ghost Girl shows Juliet Callahan exercise her silky smooth voice for the verses and chorus. The trap beat is perfect for the way she sings the lyrics-trying to purpose the mood and theme. Faintly in the background, you can hear impressive string work-such that nothing is taken away from the lyrics yet a lot is added to the atmosphere. This is where Juliet Callahan shines, creating a ghost town for this ghost she sings about. The apparition is from the inside, and she’s just beginning her ascension to being more than a somebody. The bridge is a stylish alternate route, making a prismoid view of this dimensional being she has created with song. From Atomic Blonde to Lucy, I could see blockbuster action films make this the title track for the lead. Taking control, this track also indulges in tone quite often to create this enveloping sense of sonic origami. Juliet Callahan can be explored with her superb singles like Numb, Burning and Typical. Explore her shifts through sound like an expert with her singles and her being featured on Top 50s and 100s of many playlists. Listen to her badass tracks now!
Ruiz!-The Human Touch
Ruiz! is more than a one-man band. He creates songs with a soul and embodiment like no other, especially understanding the composition. As he floats through genres like a butterfly, he likes to bring something new every time to what he is making. Here is his melodic lament, crafted to perfection. This is his latest single, The Human Touch. There is a lot to unpack here, as a song. Not only does Ruiz! bring something unique to the table in terms of sound, but it is in each parcel of it. His vocals shift from his chest voice to a falsetto with the flick of a switch. As the rhythm teaches, he learns, alternating his percussions to this delicious off time fill before coming back as the spine. His instrumentals tread light, letting the vocals shine but taking the reins every once in a while. The effort he puts into production sees the picture as a whole, with someone who understands and feels this message. It has a duality, the human touch with music, and related to the clusterfuck that was Covid. I would have really enjoyed seeing this song featured in Her, or the Netflix series Black Mirror. As the malady of the lost human touch is talked about, I see us straying deeper into the cold metal claws of technology, forgetting our primal instincts and feelings. You can see Ruiz! and his brilliant work in songs like One Rule and Falling. This single belongs right up there, and it is in effect to affect. Enjoy his brilliant songwriting and crafting with his catalogue!
Benton Crane-Daylight on the Run
Benton Crane peddles the best pockets of dreams with his sound. Though he is constantly expanding and experimenting, what he has achieved till now is a little slice of paradise. With synth heavy floods that grow from embryonic to death, his sound finds the grey matter in sound. Today, we explore his single, Daylight on the Run. The sound for this can be defined somewhat accurately. If Tame Impala stuck to theorizing with their hypothesis, the search for a psychedelic niche of sound. Benton Crane delves into this heavy, his sound energetic and warm-inviting like the first rays of sunshine. The crash heavy beat is the heartbeat, inadvertently. The saucer has ripples of different sounds now, with Benton Crane crooning on top of this galaxy visor. It is a trip through space while on Earth, and it goes to show a few things. You don’t have to be dosed out on LSD to know a creative sound like this. The transitions he uses are unique as well, taking breaks of vacuum to emphasize on the kind of sound that is outputted. Fun and light, it is a perfect way to begin a joyous day. This is a song I associate immediately from Have a Good Trip, the psychedelic story on Netflix. Other films would definitely be Trainspotting, & Pineapple Express. Though it isn’t limited to the drug multiverse, it would do well for the brilliant closing scene in The Truman Show as well. Follow Benton Crane and his sound with Nuclear Night, Through The Forest and other tracks from his catalogue. Experience a trip without the slip with his brilliant music!
AnnaBella-Liar, Liar
AnnaBella is a duo you won’t find very often. A songwriter duo of a vintage doll, Anna and the singer/performer Bella, who have a symbiotic relationship in music. The doll writes, the singer performs. This results in a volatile combination of hard rock and voluminous guitar sounds. This is the latest single from this duo, Liar, Liar. There is more than a hint of contempt from AnnaBella. The truth can be evaded, but only for so long. They wait for judgement day, with hands clasped in joy. This is a rock song that brings slowly burns into the chorus, and is a rocking one. The chords strike hard and relinquish, trying every effect to bring in the drama for the lyrical push. The verse section has some simple, luring electric guitar groove. The drums help in leading the track to the punch of the chorus, the bridge almost reminiscent of a choir. The hook is in the chorus, brimming with the energy necessary to power the track through. The production allows the kick to be felt, not only heard. I would definitely chart this for the biography for AnnaBella. This is an interesting tale that would have an intriguing story, and the scene almost looks too perfect. As the guilty is traced, you see these masterminds cackling with joy. You can hear this intense combo in their other singles like Homewrecker & Replaced. They are just getting started, and we can’t wait to see where they go. Till then enjoy their single and watch your back!
The Art Crimes Band-In the Dark of the Evening
Some songs go down like finely aged whiskey. The Art Crimes Band makes songs like none other. Not only is their sound especially unique given their journey, their arrangement, approach and styles that confluence is a sonic delight to dance under. This is their latest single, In the Dark of the Evening. Whether you’re being muscled down by non-starter, boring conversation or just traveling, this is guaranteed to make your head turn. The Art Crimes Band open with just an acapella style opening, so that the instrument drop feels special. Now, any other band would have made a loud, presence-felt mess of the opening. Audio that feels hasty. This group slides in smoothly, imitating motions in the dark. It is important to hear those transitions, they revel in the detail of their music. The accents and flourishes in the middle of the verse parts is enjoyable, a delectable surprise of sorts. Hearing the whole track makes you feel excited, like a high using only the right notes. Then you see the scene the song sets. It is a dance, a dangerous dance within frame. Reminded me of movies like Focus, The Italian Job. There is a lot to learn that we can visualize within the scene, but the rendezvous takes convulsions we don’t get to gauge. It is a superb effort by a band that has settled into making some of the sharpest sounding arrangements in the indie band scene. Check out their tracks like Neon Skyline & If Only, for beautiful audio narratives. Follow them for some resounding compositions!
Clay Joule- Realm
Clay Joule is back with an important song that breaks all boundaries of music with his new single- Realm. This time he sings to bring into the limelight a movement known as the White Paper Movement that took place during Covid. This was to exercise the Civilian right to freedom of speech under an oppressive regime. Realm started off as a poem and then took shape into a song. Joule has done a brilliant job at putting the movement at the forefront of the track. Realm has a striking beginning with the bagpipes and Joule’s voice enters creating a solemn mood. The song has such a mixture of textures with Joule’s bass voice, the backpipe and the marching drums. At first glance the song may seem to have an absurdist movement’s touch in the nature of the song. But as we do our research on the white paper movement, the song suddenly makes a lot more sense. The layering of the instruments compliments Joule’s voice beautifully. “Welcome to our kingdom, I want you to be our king” these lyrics fit the cause so well. A country puts its citizens in shackles if it takes away their freedom of speech. Samuel Beckett premiered “Waiting for Godot” in 1948 which if you know your plays, has a huge following of its own. Realm can be played in any of the scenes and it would fit like a pea in a pod. Since the 1900's the play has taken many forms and even got produced as a film. The plot revolves around two characters who are waiting for a man named Godot but neither of them know that they are waiting for the same man. The story deals with important themes and freedom of speech is happens to be one of them. It is important to note that Absurdist Theatre was a Theatre movement that was a reaction to WW2. Clay Joule is doing some heavy lifting with his music. He brings forth important issues in a lyrical ballad format and this deserves to be recognised by a larger audience.