Baths - Cerulean


It seems to me that chillwave is the new sound of 2010. Bands like Toro y Moi, Washed Out, and this Will Wiesenfeld, a.k.a. Baths, have released critically acclaimed albums over the past year. Chillwave, best described as a mixture of psychedelia and electronica, is the perfect soundtrack for one to while away the summer, and so the release of Cerulean has come at just the right time (for those in the Northern Hemisphere at least; I'm here freezing my balls off in the South!). Baths is a remarkably consistent album that varies from instrumental offerings to tracks with soft understated vocals that, while not as philosophical and thought-out as those of, say, Death Cab for Cutie or Elliott Smith, they are employed solely for their aesthetic appeal, and work well within the context of the album. Nor is the album a magnum opus of extreme length; its 12 tracks span 43 minutes, just the right amount of time where they don't drift into repetitive tedium. Anyway, check this album out, it's a good one, and if you do like it have a look at Toro y Moi & Washed Out, you'll probably enjoy them as well.

7.9

AFTA-1 - F O R M

FORM: by definition is the mode in which a thing exists, acts, or manifests itself. It is the foundation by which all things are perceivable in the physical realm. Our reality takes form as we visualize to manifest it. Once it is visualized we can manifest it physically, becoming part in building our exterior existence as a reflection of what we are within; LIFE. LOVE. CREATION.
That's what AFTA-1 says about his new album, F O R M. His stellar debut album, Aftathoughts Vol. 1, introduced us to the hipster beatsmith whose music transports its listener to an astral plane. A must-hear for fans of Flying Lotus, Gonjasufi, Ras G and other musicians bringing the space jazz sound to hip-hop beats, the album is filled with celestial melodies over banging basslines. Fans should check out his website if they're after the collector's edition, hand-made cassette tapes which provide the avid fan with a specialised copy of what is a fine addition to the growing body of spacey vibes that is taking over the instrumental hip-hop genre.

7.4