Frequencies of 2014: Chill
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
End of year “best-of” lists are a funny thing. First off, they’re entirely subjective – unless you rank based upon sales, which we all know is often the least relevant factor when considering a work’s merits. Second, they’re often far too ambitious and broad in scope. “The 50 Best Songs of The Year” looks good on the top of Rolling Stone‘s website, but what the fuck does that actually mean? The editors and content compilers didn’t listen to every single release from January 1 to December 31, and even if they had there’s no way they could sort through the sheer volume of material and pick the definitive top 50. (Side note: Rolling Stone‘s #2 song of the year was “Turn Down For What,” so their grasp on the definition of the word “best” is questionable.)
In my mind, a “best-of” list should mutually benefit the writer and the reader. Rather than futilely attempt to decide which songs or albums or artists were the indisputable winners, these lists should be cross-sections of the year in their respective musical spheres. I’m not here to be the pompous judge over some imagined contest that you signed yourself into appearing in solely by releasing music in the last calendar year. I’m just here – as always – to share the music I enjoyed too much to not talk about with anyone who’d like to hear it.
That’s the “Frequencies of” series. The music that got to me most in 2014 – that got my head nodding, that sent goosebumps prickling across my skin, that had me screaming at the top of my lungs – placed in a handful of semi-specific categories (for organizational purposes more than anything else). Am I telling you these are the best things released all year? Certainly not. Am I telling you they’re all great, and suggesting you check them out in order to grasp a more complete picture of the year in music? Absolutely.
Vacationer – Relief
Earlier in the year we retrospectively reviewed Philly/NYC nu-hula outfit Vacationer’s debut Gone. If that review had focused on the follow-up, it would have read much the same way. Released back in June, über-chill Relief is ain’t-broke-don’t-fix in its best-executed form. It’s even more laid-back than its predecessor – a borderline impossibility – and upon first listen even more homogenous track-by-track. It’s upon second (and third, and fourth…) listen that the nuances shimmer to the surface; by the time you’ve lost play count, the finger-slid bass notes set against the weightless keys of “Paradise Waiting,” and the hint of keys shaking in the breakdown of “In The Grass” are as ingrained in your head as the too-catchy chorus of “The Wild Life” or the rolling ooh’s of “Fresh.” For Kenny Vasoli and Vacationer, the chill is in the details.
Exmag – Proportions
Call it future soul, call it nu-funk, call it neo-jazz chillwave nu-tronica. However you choose to categorize it, supergroup Exmag’s debut full-length is too damn good. Most prominently featuring Slovenian-born funky fellow Gramatik (along with four other producers based out of New York City) Exmag is about as well-oiled a funk group as you’re liable to find, with just the right amount of the electronics infused into their compositions to set them apart and get feet of all ages shuffling in time to the beat. Proportions could soundtrack a 70s blaxploitation film (“True Love From the Future”), a stop-motion black-and-white photo diary of a late-night big-city excursion (“NuFunk Odyssey”), or your next adventure between the sheets (“Tilt Mode”) – and that’s just off the top of my head.
Tycho – Awake
The originator and perhaps sole purveyor of the post-trip-hop genre (a totally made-up portmanteau of post-rock and trip-hop), Scott Hansen has been the man behind the Tycho moniker for over a decade. Apparently chill gets better with age, because his evolution has been a wonderful one to chart. A few years ago, he began touring Tycho as a full band experience, breathing entirely new life into the mostly-electronic tunes he’d released up to that point by performing them live. Awake – released in March – reflects this shift in approach by positioning itself directly at the center of the aforementioned post-rock/trip-hop crossroads. There are plenty of stand-out tracks, but this is an album I recommend be listened to in its entirety before any single tracks are pulled out and consumed individually.
Culprate – Deliverance
This one’s fresh in my mind – as I hope too in yours – and although it strays sometimes out of the realm of “chill” it’s a downtempo masterwork from a producer far better known for his abrasive glitch and dub stylings. There are more instruments on this disc than in many philharmonic orchestras, and they’re deployed not with random hopes of obtaining experimental credibility but with confidence and pointed intention. On tracks like the meandering, multi-genre “Reluctent” or the oft-jagged “Florn,” Culprate echoes genre greats like Tipper and Aphex Twin without emulating or lifting from them. Above all Deliverance is a truly original work – a sad rarity these days – and the layers and variance are such that I’ll be unraveling it well into 2015.
Tipper – Forward Escape
The cancellation of the final day of the inaugural Hudson Project in Upstate New York was a bummer of the highest order. Missing out on a third of the weekend’s scheduled acts – chief among them Tipper and Bassnectar – was only remedied months later by the announcement of the former joining the latter’s yearly Nashville New Year’s Eve celebration. At the time though it was a massive letdown, and on a personal level it was made roughly a hundred times worse by this album. While it was released in early May, I didn’t get around to giving it a proper listen until we were a few hours out on the drive to Hudson. I figured I should familiarize myself with his latest release before seeing him for the first time, so I started up “Portal Spillage” and subsequently lost myself for just under an hour in the otherworldly soundscapes. Dave Tipper has always been a master of sound design, and on Forward Escape this prowess is on full display; if you picture each song as a room, no one is as adept at filling that sonic space. There’s a huge amount going on in each track, but there’s not a second on the album that feels crowded. Bonus points to “The Re-Up” for being the most uplifting downtempo track I’ve ever heard. Do yourself a musical favor: grab a pair of headphones and give this album a listen or two.
Various Artists – Escapism 2
“Drum ‘n’ bass” and “chill” conceptually aren’t immediately apparent bedfellows. If you caught our warm-up/wind-down pairing spotlighting liquid DnB, you may better understand how they intersect. If not, Liquicity has you covered with this late-2014 compilation release. There’s an illusion of rush here; the tracks seem to speed you along, but it’s a rarity you feel hurried as you make your way through this collection of artists signed to the label. Picking favorites is difficult because many of the tracks hold a beauty independent of the others – whether it’s a well-sampled vocal or an ethereal piano riff or synth lead. If you like your chill to toe the line, you’ll find plenty to love on Escapism 2.
Aphex Twin – Syro
Even if this album had been a train wreck it would have made almost all the year-end lists; when you’re as mysterious and revered as Aphex Twin, things like that happen. The ambient/downtempo electronica pioneer experiments with all sorts of subgenres on Syro, and manages to encapsulate a sound that’s equally rooted in the 1990s and the present day. I won’t harp on it because it’s been reviewed to death, but I will say I’m in agreement with the lauding it’s received. Remember to go in with an open mind – Aphex Twin has never made music that’s easy to listen to. If you’re willing to put in some work, it’s a rewarding hour of experimentation, and a satisfying long-awaited return for a legendary musical icon.