New Music From No Thank You John, Spacesuit
No Thank You John
Dark
(bandcamp.com)
Music has always been a big part of my life. I have a never-ending love for it, in all its forms. There is no limit to my love affair with it, I do not get hung up on genres, I focus more on the musical aspect of the content than anything else.
One reason I love living in Chattanooga is the diverse music scene, and for the musical magic that lives here which the local music makers are able to consistently tap into; there must be something in the water.
Currently I am loving the Lo-Fi electric pop album Dark, by No Thank You John. Lo-Fi (Low Fidelity) music constitutes recorded music in which the sound quality is lower than the usual contemporary standards (High Fidelity), and where imperfections of the recording and production are audible; It is often referred to as DIY music.
Where the sound quality is less than studio quality, it does not diminish the potency of the music, nor does it mean that it has a bad sound. It simply means that a musician used the tools that they had to unleash the music that was inside of them. In my humble opinion, Dark is exactly what music is all about; an extension of the artist’s spirit and heart.
From the very first time that I pressed play, I felt instantly connected to the music. Slick, catchy, sounds and beats pour from its core. It has an overall ambient rhythm throughout, and is laced with some heady, heartfelt lyrics that are easily relatable to presumably most people.
The music has a pulse, a heartbeat, it is alive. It holds rugged, raw beauty that can only stem from life experience; from a place where some of the best music in existence is born.
The album should be listened to from start to finish, but the standout tracks are “Dance on the Ceiling”, “Close”, and “Turn it Off”.
The future of the local music scene is bright, and it is because of musicians like No Thank You John (NTYJ). Support your local musicians and artists Chattanooga.
Spacesuit
Debut
(bandcamp.com)
While Chattanooga certainly does not have a booming electronic music culture, it is scattered here through the peaks and valleys of the surrounding mountain ranges.
Proof of its existence pours from Chattanooga artist Spacesuit’s September released electronic/chill/dreampop album titled Debut, and it is fantastic. While breaking the molds of traditional electronic dance music, Debut goes far beyond the realm of Tennessee, and unleashes a widespread sound that is globally relevant.
The intelligence that flows from the music that composes the album is extraordinarily impressive. The creative stance of each individual track continues to progress as the album rides on. Beautiful, gripping, effortless music is what pours from it.
I know that people often misconstrue the idea of electronic music, and brains automatically think dubstep or trance when imagining what an electronic music album might sound like. Where it can be the case, it is not always. Electronic music wears many different masks, and in my opinion is the extension of the producer’s heartbeat, regardless of the EDM style that they are creating.
This particular electronic music album cannot be boxed in by any kind of genre labeling, it does its own thing, and rocks steady. Many different sounds were utilized in the creation of this album, and small pieces from the many EDM sub-genres ring out at different times throughout; never in a mimicking kind of way.
This whole album is excellent in its entirety. There is not a dull moment from start to finish and is one of those rare albums that easily falls into the daily listen category. Standout tracks “Bird”, “Northern Lights”, “Spacesuit”, and “To Live” all pave the way for this stellar album.
Debut is the kind of album that can open minds to further explore electronic music. Support this talented local artist Chattanooga. Break the chains of misconception and give this electronic treasure a listen.