Words: Ryan Getz
This is not the Chicago producer. I repeat, not the Chicago producer.
Ever since my attempt at reviewing the Mister Lies LP Mowgli a few years ago I’ve been fascinated by the feeling that I get from listening to downtempo electronic music, and I’ve struggled to recapture that initial feeling. At this point I feel like an adult trying to recreate the wonder of Christmas morning emotions as a kid – its still gonna be good when I find it, but not exactly the same.
The Diver comes pretty close to recreating the feeling I had when I first found out what this genre was. The album has the effect me of me staring at a stream in the middle of a city, well after nightfall, but not quite midnight. It would be perfectly acceptable to be a wallflower to this music, as much as it would to dance with reckless abandon. Calming yet not sleep-inducing. Paradoxically energizing.
I somewhat foolishly decided to review this in the middle of the day, in a Panera Bread store – pretty much the opposite environment of that which would yield the mood this music is composed to create. Yet, I’m able to be transported, in my mind, to that place – to an extent. This in and of itself is an accomplishment.
One big difference between this and the Mister Lies record is how cohesive it is. While I can pick out specific moments from the former in my mind, I view the latter as one composition. Indeed, many subtle influences and effects emerge through the duration of The Diver – just not as pronounced as I was expecting. But it all feels natural. Look at “Malamu” for example – here we have looping effects, vocals (wordless, though), djembe drums, xylophone, saxophone, and more. It sounds like all the ingredients of a jamtronica band, but that feeling of quiet energy remains present. Throw in some guitar effects in “A Life Unfolds,” that brings a feeling similar to the summer air right before a storm, while some cello reassures us that it will all be okay.
So basically, if you want some reassurance with some groove attached to it, you should vibe to this record.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/204753121″ /]
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