Broadcast is a recent album from Ottawa-based artist, Stan Sitwell (aka DJ Tim Mills). A well-traveled DJ who got his start in Tokyo and has been in the game for over 20 years, Sitwell has cultivated a unique and avant garde sound. A lot of dance party songs are a dime a dozen, but there’s nothing cliche in these recordings. Stan describes his genre as “blendstep, ranging from trip hop to house.” The blended elements definitely make for a memorable concoction. Combining retro-futuristic synths with fresh house vibes, organic percussive sounds and string instruments, the result is a surreal, (and pleasantly jarring) musical fun house. This is like 21st century ice cream truck or circus music but with an edge.
Complex and artistic, the songs almost feel like sound collages at times. The production is solid here, but that’s obviously not the main attraction. It’s tough to say what my favorite track is, because there are so many changes and components within each song. Every track had at least a couple of parts that I found really engaging. The synth-driven opener I Try, and the future-folk gem I’ve Done It All are both miniature masterpieces though. Broadcast is one of the most creative and amazing dance music albums I’ve heard in recent memory. I could listen to this for hours.
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