As a music producer working on his/her craft, there exist many goals and milestones that are consistently measured during the road to personal success. The obvious one, and one that seems to saturate the music industry, is monetary wealth and stability. Once the art earns the producer enough revenue to support themselves and feel comfortable, they are often considered to have “made it” and can relax into whichever avenue they choose for the rest of their life. Another milestone is simply the experience of performing their work for a large audience. I can’t imagine a child who doesn’t at one time dream of holding the mic and shredding in front of a sea of screaming fans. To realize this fantasy is certainly something to strive for as an artist, but there is another goal that holds especially relevant to the modern electronic producer.
What separates software-based production from, say, playing an instrument, is the lengthy, mathematical process of creating sounds. Displaying one’s emotions and artistic intentions using decimal points, curved automations, and finely tuned filter sweeps is something that takes years of practice and resilient patience. Achieving this skill and being able to translate even the most alien sounds from one’s head into reality, however, is the one of the most rewarding goals an artist can aim for. Only when their software becomes an extension of themselves can such artists truly understand complete fulfillment in their work.
One such producer making steady and noticeable progress on this path is Courteous Family‘s own No Puls. Today he released his third in a series of EPs, called “Dimensions“. The five track compilation can be downloaded for free on his Bandcamp page, unless you’re feeling generous enough to donate.
The first track, “Spirhut“, begins with Tsuruda-esque, echoey, ominous horn sounds and a soft rhythm that begins to emerge as the sonic realm becomes engulfed in reverb. Suddenly the horns are right in front of you, alongside swirling shakers and broken side-beats. The entire track feels like one big swell, with tribal nuances that give it the perfect amount of grime and groove.
After “Jade“, a dark and visceral hip hop-inspired piece, comes “Opal“. The consistent yet wobbly percussion is complemented with unique zipper noises and high pitched scratches that pop out of the auditory field. Light wails and delayed vocal stings allow for a short rest between the passionate drum solos that characterize the song. I’d like to call it “trap with a purpose”.
At the number four spot is “Golden Healer“. Beginning with far off warbles, the beat enters the space without warning and features an uncountable amount of different ticks and hits. The immensely complex and overlapping layers to the rhythm are glued together by a looped melody and an R&B-style bass line that falls into the measure ends.
The EP finishes with “Mully“: a bitter, dub-oriented track that truly displays No Puls’ skill behind the keyboard. His name will be one you hear about more and more as the season goes on, as his collective simultaneously expands their body of work. Listen to the full album on Bandcamp or Soundcloud, and visit his Facebook to stay updated.
