Saturday, April 12, 2014

Albums : SOHN : Tremors

Albums : SOHN : Tremors

Listen To SOHN : Tremors


Who Is SOHN?
London-based songwriter and electronic musician Toph Taylor started releasing music as SOHN in 2012, beginning with a few tracks online that eventually led to a 12" on the Aesop label called The Wheel. SOHN's sound melded soulful singer/songwriter fare with abstract electronic beats, gaining immediate acclaim and plenty of press exposure. He was quickly signed to 4AD, which released several singles leading up to debut album Tremors, which saw release in April of 2014. Prior to the album's release, Taylor worked on remixes and other various collaborations with artists like Rhye and Lana Del Rey.

Tremors Review
Some albums connect most in the moments just before sleep, and SOHN’s debut full-length, Tremors, is one that does just that, showcasing a deep reverence for the vulnerability of night within each track. Refusing to fill spaces, SOHN instead makes every note and syllable dense with significance. Each song is composed of glistening melodic substances, minimal in nature and intimate in content, proving that his 2012 EP was nowhere near a fluke.

One of the most fascinating aspects of SOHN’s sound is that he often uses his own voice as an instrument by utilizing expert looping and texturing. Rhythmically deft, he crafts a futuristic type of R&B drenched in the same sad stuff that makes up soul music, but gleaming with metallic surfaces of years yet unseen. The tone and pacing of this album lends itself to overall grey-blue vibes that emanate from his severely battered heart.

The cover of Tremors is the photo of a man (probably SOHN) walking alone down a wintry road into some type of cloud, and the feeling of a lone journeyman carries on throughout the record. “Oh Lord, I got lost along the way,” he sings stirringly on the opening track, and with the following song, he tells us his ghost story — “I died a week ago/There’s nothing left/It’s caught on video/The very last breath.” Some of the lines are jarring in their devastation, and SOHN’s soprano lament makes sure they resonate. On “Bloodflows” he sings, “My love don’t love me,” over and over. The building piano ballad, “Paralysed”, details a gory split: “Nobody can slit my throat/Nobody can leave me lying by the side of the road like you can.”

Towards the end, we find SOHN still very alone on his journey, but gaining strength. “I won’t play your games no more” he vows on “Veto”, and with the next track he promises to “keep away” from the culprit responsible for his brokenness. The final song, also the title track, places the blame on the dishonest nature of the relationship and makes reconciliation with separation. “Vibrations of tremors that shook long ago/Tear holes in the fabric of all that we know/Can’t survive with the secrets we have/All that we have is a lie/Hold the line/‘Til the thread comes undone/If you’re thinking of letting me go then it’s time that you do.”

Ultimately, Tremors is trippy yet sophisticated, delicate yet daring. This is the type of music that moves through us like a chill, the sound reverberating through our bodies as if they were caves. SOHN’s ear for rhythm and melody is obvious, as the beats drop into place at exactly the right moment in order maintain that cinematic air. Tremors is an electronic dream of a debut.


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Sources : SOHN Photo | Listen To Tremors | SOHN Biography | Tremors Review

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