Monthly Archives: December 2018

Reviews

Forest Robots – Timberline and Mountain Crest

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Forest Robots is the musical project of Francisco Dominquez. He describes the endeavor as being a “letter to his daughter about the wonders of nature.” The name “Forest Robots” itself offers a clue as to the nature of the sound of his latest album release titled Timberline and Mountain Crest. What’s immediately notable about the music here is that it strives to capture the spirit of the outdoors while not conforming to stereotypical tropes of what we’ve come to expect with “nature” music. Instead of the cliche, serene meditation music, wind instruments, and other bromides that one commonly encounters while perusing the tarot card section of an incense filled, New Age bookstore, we’re treated to futuristic synths and some genuinely stimulating ambiance. What “Forest Robots” seems to be telling us here is that the wonders of the outdoors are every bit as exciting (if not more so) as the latest smart phone technology that’s at your fingertips.

In fact, the opening track, Sudden Bioluminescence sounds more like something you’d hear in a dystopian, John Carpenter science fiction film than what one would expect to be listening to on an office nature retreat. From my perspective, that is a very refreshing development. Another excellent example of this is On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon, which is subtly dark and captivating. It could even be considered a low-key dance track. The closest to a familiar kind of sound associated with outdoors on the album is the open and eloquent The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest, a song that embodies the quietness of the morning. The album covers all its bases and leaves the listener with a complete experience. The juxtaposition of the natural world with what is typically deemed futuristic music is a poignant concoction in that it provokes the listener to think of parks and public lands not as a weekend getaway or relic of the past to be appreciated, but something which should be thought of as an integral part of an exciting future.

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Available Here:
Bandcamp: https://forestrobots.bandcamp.com/album/timberline-and-mountain-crest

For more info:
Official Site: https://www.forestrobots.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/forestrobots
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forestrobots/
Youtube: https://preview.tinyurl.com/forestrobotsyoutube

Reviews

Blow_Flyy – BLEED 4 YOU

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Canadian artist Blow_Flyy’s single BLEED 4 YOU packs a lot of punch into its 2:40 run time. Off of his freshly completed album, BLOOD N HONEY this jam gives you a taste of what kind of delightful goodness is in store. The melodically eerie and attention grabbing synth-like intro draws the listener’s consciousness into the music immediately. The song doesn’t waste any time. Like a confident chess player bringing out his best pieces early, Blow_Flyys colab partner Keonte Beals’s vocals appear toward the beginning of the song. His voice dazzles and leaves an immediate impression that the song is a professional endeavor. The harmony and dynamic tone of his delivery are stylistically comparable to legends like Usher. The singer can hit some high notes. For his part, Blow_Flyy’s delivery is crisp and punchy, right on point. His voice helps to anchor the track and adds a second layer of emotion to balance out the female expression.

Blow_Flyy prides himself on having clean content. BLEED 4 YOU is a genuine song which never veers from the realm of respectability and occasionally touches on sensitive issues like loss and family quarrels in a very personal way. There’s real passion here. The song is the expression of a man pursuing ambitious dreams while maintaining an eye for doing the right thing.

https://soundcloud.com/johnsonjr/for-the-love
https://www.indiesound.com/track/2177

Reviews

Jake Haze – Hazey

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Hazey is a new album from hip hop artist Jake Haze. A good way to describe it is that it’s almost like a family photo album in musical form. With intensely personal lyrics and touching anecdotes the release serves as an ajar window to one man’s world. At 15+ substance filled tracks, the sheer volume of content in Hazey is impressive in and of itself. What is uniquely awesome about this album though is that the level of creativity (especially in formatting) is off the charts. For example, Voicemail to Savannah isn’t simply a metaphor, it’s a song that’s literally in the form of a voicemail on someone’s answering machine. It is artfully done though, in a way which the musicality captures the awkwardly genuine romanticism of the moment. None of these songs are “cookie cutter” either. There is a great deal of musical variance with the backing tracks, and none of the tracks feel like padding or filler. Jake’s delivery comes across as humble and unassuming. He keeps his ego in check and is not shy about revealing his vulnerabilities in these lyrics, which deal with family issues, the pursuit of dreams and often just the mundane struggle to make ends meet. This album is a genuine work of art, one which deserves much more exposure than it is likely to receive in mainstream hip hop circles.

For more info:
https://soundcloud.com/winningsince85/sets/hazey
https://open.spotify.com/album/7EgngMoI5xt7vNpDPj5crH

Reviews

Alisa Chirco – Give Me More

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Give Me More, a new single from Alisa Chirco, hypnotizes like a kind of slow motion disco. The background music in this jam is laser-like and ethereal. This song is a light show in musical form, and Alisa’s charismatic vocals take center stage. Her voice has enormous presence and she sings passionately and professionally. With advancements in recording technology, it’s very easy for people to record pop songs nowadays that sound decent. However, this track is top tier and if it accomplishes one thing, it manages to establish Alisa Chirco as an artist who’s a cut above the vast majority of aspiring vocalists.

For more info:

http://alisachirco.com/
https://twitter.com/AlisaChirco123
https://www.facebook.com/AlisaChircoMusic