There are oodles of independent record labels out
and about nowadays, many of them little more than vehicles for solo
artists to promote themselves, but few of them take the time to
express their intent and vision of musical evolution as earnestly
and forthcomingly as Human of Switzerland's Fiin Records. Human
has long been known in his community as an artist that can express
himself through multitudes of musical styles, and it becomes readily
apparent in his latest album, "Mystical Encounter". A
collection of ten tracks each tell a story of emotion and bring
you face to face with what it means to be what, and who, we are.
"Mystical Encounter" is a nebulous amalgam of backgrounds,
sounds, and influences sewn together by the style of one of the
electronic genre's most versatile budding virtuosos, Human.
Track by Track
Mystical Encounter
Eerie Autumn nighttime thunderstorms and lilting, Draculesque
minor keys usher us into a haunting environment of digital castle
labyrinths. Synths duel effected harpsichords atop a funky hip-hop
beat. Human gives the "retro" sound a whole new meaning,
borrowing from multiple pasts and sprinkling in a few cutting-edge
wavelengths in just the right places.
Sunday Morning
This track is a meaty, minimalistic triplet's based stomper that
is jovial and catchy. The acid rhythms aren't too hard, with the
whole being solidly musical and melodic. Vintage sawtooths, analog
stings, and gossamer pads lift you up with peaceful feelings of
love. An all around enjoyable track, fast enough for the dancefloor
and easy enough for lazy listening.
Mystical
Spaziergang
Spooky
synth strings herald apparitional atmospheres leading into the
onset of an antediluvian arrangement of kicks, bass, and low,
warm frequencies. Atavistic, corrosive saws tickle your feet into
motion. Amorphous bass pulsates throughout the sound spectrum
as eerie organs enunciate their orchestration. This is a dark
hearted pleaser for your shadowy side.
Kim
"Kim" picks up the pace and brings in a smooth, groovy
bass and tops it off with all manner of gated scale arpeggios.
The layers pile on for some nice tension and release moments while
the percussion expounds upon itself. Constantly changing melodies
and an excellent drum solo make a great breakdown before taking
the sound to a higher summit.
A Trip To Russia
Human's rendition of an ingrained electronica classic gives the
piece a refreshing makeover. This artist definitely shows his
musical prowess and intuition by improvising upon the melody as
the track morphs from an old familiar classic into something different,
a bittersweet four on the floor stomper filled with sonic dualities
of power, grace, and many others.
Release
Off-kilter, syncopated breaksy bassbeats inaugurate a session
of electronic assonance. Smooth, crisp bass glide you along a
funhouse of tuneful rhythm and melody, inspiring tensively conflicting
feelings of discordance and well-being. Tear-jerking moments on
the piano and rhapsodic arrangements adhere to your ear with an
uncanny congeniality.
Back To Humanity
Dueling piano chords ride along a chunky analog bassline refereed
by a Gypsy violinist. Simplistic synth waves stand out against
cacophonic, heavily effected speeches expressing a gamut of humanistic
aspects. Between the variety of samples and the intricate synth
layers allow this track to define its given name with all due
appropriateness.
The Melody
Uptempo and outdoorsy, "The Melody" is fuelled up by
furious tribal drum patter and an energetic bassbeat. Metallic
sweeps and other industrial sounds add to the mechanical feel
of the early stages of the piece. However it's after the breakdown
that the sounds really pick up and branch out emotively, playing
off each other, pushing the mood further.
Beauty
This track is a true inspirer of joyous tears of admiration and
realization. A great one for sunrise second winds, the musicality
of this one lends itself well to the audio pick-me-up. Growing
on you at an audible pace, the harder edged elements compliment
the anthemy, gentler sonic aspects, all to a minimalistic beat
that doesn't cease to bore.
The Seeker Shall Find
Human's album ends with all the flair of a symphonic grand finale,
transporting your mind to imaginative realms of high epic fantasy
in a musical composition that defies genre classification in its
conglomerational mish-mash of styles and influences that really
works.
