Echoscape is the math-folk project of one Satoshi Inoue, currently located in Brooklyn. “Brightest” is the newest track from this project, and it’s pretty comparable to a shimmering pillar of hope in a space populated by uncertainty. I will say, I’m ordinarily not enticed by artists who make primary use of an acoustic guitar, but Satoshi’s playing has proved him to be an exception here. He takes a really innovative approach, somewhat similar to Kaki King (who he mentions on facebook, even); and, if you’re lucky enough to live in the NYC metro area, you can catch him playing live with a drummer this Friday, March 18 at our favorite purple room Palisades (Peace Arrow is on the bill, too – what a babe!). Anyway, take a listen for yourself:
“Brightest” begins with a fairly typical-seeming finger-tapped acoustic guitar melody, pausing for a moment before a driving drum beat enters the mix. This sets up the feel for Satoshi’s vocal delivery, which reminds me of way too many things at once to actually pick out and name references. The lyrics are pretty melancholy, and Satoshi proves himself to be a master of building and resolving tension in wide crescendos. A couple minutes in, some really awesome synth pads fill out the mix; I wish Satoshi would play with layering and texture a little more in his recordings, but I suppose I can understand the appeal of not wanting to make recordings too busy as a solo artist who has to perform them live. All things considered, “Brightest” is a pretty solid way to get into Echoscape, whether you were looking to find a new math folk project or totally clueless as to the existence of such a genre.
we’re all tourists
Keep up with Echoscape on Facebook and make sure to go see them live at Palisades this Friday, March 18.
