Review: Tristan Eckerson - Dance Craze EP

If you haven't noticed, the winds of change continue to blow strong in the world of music. While before, an artist seeking to create something full in scope needed to be backed by a band or an orchestra, they now have the wonders of technology before them that allow unprecedented access into new musical realms. Add to that the fact that many of those artists, such as Avicii and David Guetta, are taking those breakthroughs and combining them with compelling, and danceable rhythms, giving the electronic dance music (EDM) genre a fresh burst of life. Now, rising artist Tristan Eckerson is set to toss his hat into the ring with his debut EP, appropriately titled Dance Craze.

Eckerson is a classically trained pianist who had played in bands of multiple genres, trying his hand at jazz, blues, and funk as well as punk and pop. Artistic restlessness kept him moving to and fro, trying new musical textures here and there but the one constant was his desire to get people moving. And when he enrolled in a Master's program for Music Production and Sound Design for visual media, he became enthralled with the world of electronic dance music.

"I had spent my entire life playing keyboards and writing music with a pencil and paper, and suddenly I was introduced to this crazy world of electronic music production, and suddenly I could write for an entire orchestra! It changed everything for me," he shares.

Inspired, Eckerson set out to harness those newfound production skills, combining his love of the Dance music genre together with his eclectic musical past, classical and modern flair coming together in an infectious and energetic mixture. And it's done so in a way that is fully intentional.

 "Having spent most of my life playing keyboards in bands and listening to all kinds of Dance Music, it wasn't until after college that I really started to get into Electronic Music at all," Eckerson offers. "Once I did, I got hooked, and then when I learned how to produce music electronically, it was all over for me. Ever since then I've been on a mission to create Electronic Dance Music that's full of energy and is danceable, but at the same time is filled with musicality. I want to create Electronic Dance Music that is accessible to people that don't necessarily like EDM. There is so much "Dance Music" out there, created in different ways, from all over the world. I want to broaden the sense of what Electronic Dance Music really is, and incorporate more original ideas, influences, and emotions into my songs."

It’s that vision that fuels the three tracks that make up the whole of Dance Craze. Eckerson kicks things off with the throbbing pulse of “Life,” carefully adding various textures and layers that ebb and flow, highlighting them with digitized vocal elements that bring some added nuance to the proceedings. It’s relentless pace brings listeners into a trance of sorts while the title track builds an accessible bridge into a full on dance mode. Boasting bright synth tones, vocal harmonies, and an infectious groove, its tailor made for the club and is easily the highlight of the three. Lastly, with “POLY,” Eckerson lets his diversity shine, bringing Afro and Latin swagger to his beats and constructing a template of Moombahton-meets-House-and-Techno that is uniquely compelling. There’s a frenetic build to the track, raging guitar pressing the song to a bloodlust of sorts that carries a theatrical tone and ends things on an interesting note.

It’s somewhat difficult to judge an artist’s overall creativity and potential in just three songs but, with these three on the Dance Craze EP, Tristan Eckerson makes a strong case for his future. And while the jury is still out on the overall accessibility of these tunes, those who do enjoy a healthy dose of EDM in their listening diet will find plenty to move to here.

Review: Aradia - Possibilities: Light EP

Some artists come into their musical lives unexpectedly, discovering their talent and love for the craft later in life. Others, like up and coming artist Aradia, are simply born into it.

Aradia was born in metropolitan New York City to a musician/musical therapist and a ballet dancer. With music in her blood, she took to playing the piano at the age of three, flute at eight and guitar at fourteen while constantly honing her voice in any which way should could. She eventually enrolled in the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College but became disenchanted with the unexpected politics of the classical music world and turned to the world of rock for a new muse.

That turn led her to a gig with Some Band, performing at legendary venues like The Bitter End and The Wetlands before she eventually headed to Atlanta by way of Los Angeles with her longtime collaborator and musical mentor Wirth Lawson. There the two formed Twelfth Planet and rocked the Atlanta clubs for nearly three years, garnering the artist some much needed seasoning and experience, finding her ready and prepared for a solo career as the band came to an end.

With a full length album and an EP under her belt, the artist now calls Seattle home and mines that experience for material on her latest offering, the Possibilities: Light EP. The album is a set of six colorful tracks arrayed in pop, rock, and electronica sounds, blending a sense of 1980’s nu-wave sensibilities together with eclectic, modern vibes recalling artists like Blondie, Lady Gaga, and Bjork.

Aradia gets things off to a start with the synth pop fills of “The Light,” her vocals stark against an electronica background of sound that eventually fleshes out into something full and nuanced. It’s not the most accessible of tracks and, in that respect, will get things off to a rough start for some listeners yet “Trouble” will right that wrong quickly. A driving programming line provides an old school element while raging guitars and swelling vocals buoy the track to a new place, the layers of sound creating something that is definitely unique and interesting.

“Today” finds the artist working through a minor chord feeling jam as she lyrically deals with the danger of seizing the day, singing, “I thought I saw myself today/I asked her to come out and play/I traveled to another time/So I could make the moment mine.” In addition to the obvious electronica elements, there’s something of an indie vibe to the track as well, largely due to Aradia’s vocal delivery, that gives the track extra life as well while “On Fire,” with crunchy electronic elements and a rocking beat stands as the most accessible and danceable track here. Reminiscent of Lady Gaga and Madonna, the artist rocks through lyrics that outline her journey of coming to a sense of freedom, her vocals showcasing that with their emotional flair and are undergirded by the powerful arrangement.

“Slow Ur Roll” is something of a disappointment, the electro-pop blips and beeps well performed but ultimately uninspiring. Thankfully, “Keep On” closes things out with a track that will find listeners wanting to keep on listening. Colored with playful Middle Eastern flair, the artist brings the old together with the new, Sitar meeting with programmed percussion and more while her vocal ebbs and flows, showing solid strength on a solidly creative closer.

Aradia is an artist that, by her very nature, will not be embraced by all. Yet, for those with more eclectic tastes and adventurous spirits, the Possibilities: Light EP has plenty to draw their interest. The artist draws from a diverse palette and paints with broad, compelling strokes, crafting a set of songs that are eclectic, imaginative, and compelling.

Review: NMERCER - Crossroads EP

It’s the rare individual who finds that a move to South Central in Los Angeles will serve as a creative point of inspiration but for rising artist NMERCER, that’s just what happened.

Originally hailing from Vashon, a small island near Seattle, NMERCER was raised on the expected fare from that region, citing influences like Joan Osborne and Alice in Chains alongside more eclectic choices like the Pharcyde, Beastie Boys, The Doors, Björk, Easy E, NWA, and Too $hort. A move to Los Angeles found her eventually searching out and moving to South Central due to the more affordable rent and stumbling upon a new community of friends and artists.

“For the first time since I moved to LA, I felt like I was part of a community,” she shares. “The guys on the block were all rappers or musical in some way or another. They’d would bring by sick beats and ask me to sing hooks on them.”

Soon, in moments of privacy, NMERCER took to writing her own songs, a new experience for the artist.

“It was the first time I wrote music where I felt like I had a sound and voice. I think it came out real because I made those songs for no one but myself,” she explains.

Those experiences and those songs have fueled a burst of creativity in the artist and she’s released a rapid fire set of releases with her self-titled debut, a remix album, and the Crossroads EP. Those recordings have found her enjoying favorable comparisons to artists like MIA, Missy Elliott, Ke$ha, and Gwen Stefani, and the Crossroads EP gives a good indication why.

Produced by Justin Lassen, who’s done remixes for artists like Nine Inch Nails, Linkin Park, Apocalyptica, and Evanescence, the EP features four songs of NMERCER’s signature style. That style is a combination of hip hop grooves, electro-pop vibes, and plenty of EDR fills, all informed by the artist’s versatile vocals.

The title track kicks things off with plenty of electronic-fueled distortion, kicking programmed drums holding the beat while NMERCER drops her flow, her delivery somewhat slow and dreamy as her vocals mix things up with some added effects. The lyric is an encouraging one, the protagonist of the song standing at a crossroads and making the decision to push ahead and make a change.

“Steal It” keeps the positive vibes rolling as the artist sings, “Move/Dance/Now’s the chance/Go/Hard/Let down that guard/You’re in the spotlight/C’mon, steal it” while surrounded by an electronica-infused sonic backdrop that flows into a full-fledged radio-ready jam. NMERCER’s vocals are in full effect, the swelling music only giving her more energy while “Why U Gotta B So Fine” is something of a disappointment. True, the track does have a Ke$ha feel but after hearing the artist’s solid vocals on the preceding tracks, her nasal delivery and subpar lyricism just leaves one wanting.

Thankfully, NMERCER’s final track “DB” steps in and rights those wrongs. Sultry, sexy vocals and an old school feeling jam, complete with huge bass notes that propel the track forward, buoyed by a bright horn section in the chorus give the track bonus life. Singing of dropping a lover, the artist brings a sense of playfulness to the song, her rhyming legit and infused with a smile.

All in all, NMERCER’s Crossroads EP showcases a young artist who’s bursting at the seams with talent and has the potential to break out into the big time. Granted, there’s still work to be done but with NMERCER’s creative output and her star shining bright, the sky’s the limit for this promising new act.