When a vapor or chillwave producer establishes an aesthetic that bridges multiple releases, it adds a new dimension to their overall discography. This added attention to theme and presentation, one that bridges multiple albums, lends itself to the interpretation that the producer's entire library is one cohesive and evolving work, with each release serving as an episode in a yet to be concluded saga.
You would think that such an interpretation would be applicable to any artist's catalog, but this is simply not the case. Most rock and pop artists, really musicians of any stripe, are not encouraged, either by their peers or fans, to adhere too closely to the sound and visuals of their previous release. In addition, lineups, labels, studios, producers, engineers, mixers, and other personnel responsible for shaping the sound of a record change from release to release- again, as much due to the industry-wide encouragement and incentives as happenstance or the general unavailability of partners between projects.
Semi-anonymous producers who release their music exclusively via Bandcamp or Soundcloud are involved in a different milieu than most musicians, one that rewards consistency over almost any other creative virtue. These artists also largely work alone and at home, which makes it both easy and feasible to maintain a certain character, both visually and sonically, between releases.
Haircuts for Men is a good example of this phenomenon, as the monochromatic depictions of fetishized male beauty and sexuality of their cover art colors their future funk and soul mixes with shades of repressed cravings and sculped carnal idealism. There are plenty of other worthy specimens I could discuss here, but one of my current obsessions is Mexican producer DΛRKNΣSS.
Since their second LP, DΛRKNΣSS has outfitted their albums in high contrast collages of pulp manga imagery, often depicting women in outlandish costumes and striking severe poses that imply a range of intriguing narratives, from tense sexual liaisons to fateful confrontations with apparitions or other paranatural forces. The insinuated sex and violence gifts to DΛRKNΣSS's music an intrepid sense of escapism, as if the music formed a wormhole through which you could crawl to find a dimension of indulgent dark fantasy. Their latest release Maid Tapes Vol. 1 is certainly that. A divertingly sequenced spread of light funk and ambient new age that feels like an inverted version of Pure Moods that has fallen through the cracks of New Port City (新浜市) and into our reality.
The production work on Maid Tapes is very humid and the grooves are slick with moister- like freshly scrubbed skin after a shower. Although the dim, weighty tone of the synths selected for this album illicit the centuries of grime that have been smeared across most major cities, the tainted surfaces of these megalopolises are regarded at a distance rather than under a magnifying glass. Instead, the mix overall gives the impression of being consciously withdrawn and actively removed from society to permit some form of recuperation or strategic rupture.
These tracks are lonesome sounding, but not lonely. Through some light fantasy, dancing horn samples, and refined bass grooves, Maid Tapes permits the listener to withdraw at their leisure, and to be alone, not by compulsion or in seeking avoidance, but by preference. It is music that allows one to enjoy the company of their own thoughts, and only the company of their own thoughts, should they so desire.
I'm looking forward to hearing how DΛRKNΣSS develops their chosen themes and aesthetics on their next album, but at an hour and thirty minutes run time, Maid Tapes will keep me plenty preoccupied until they get around to releasing the next installment of their oeuvre.
