Across the Pond: EDM DJ SBTRKT produces subtle, layered sounds in new album
London-based DJ SBTRKT released his sophomore album, “Wonder Where We Land,” in early October. SBTRKT’s strand of electronic music is far removed from the bombastic hits of American DJs, with a far more atmospheric and nuanced sound, better heard in an intimate setting than at a large music festival.
(Courtesy of Dan Wilton)
By Ishan Rampuria
Oct. 27, 2014 1:39 a.m.
There’s something about the British Isles that consistently produces musical greatness; it is inherent to the country, its people and its culture. Popular culture has been defined by bands and artists from the UK; they have consistently created new genres and musical subcultures – from the Beatles’ psychedelic rock in the ’60s all the way through to the explosion of dubstep and drum ‘n’ bass in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Every week, “Across the Pond” will cover a British artist, or an aspect of British music, that has defined modern culture.
With dance music festivals Escape: All Hallows’ Eve and HARD Day of the Dead fast approaching over Halloween weekend, Los Angeles’ obsession with electronic dance music – known colloquially as EDM – seems to be reaching a fever pitch.
The world’s biggest DJs will be playing in large outdoor venues just outside of Los Angeles, and it is as if DJs are the new rock stars; their festival-filling, anthemic and energy-charged sounds are the music of choice for the teenage and 20-something crowd.
DJs are now some of the highest-earning and most recognizable musical celebrities in the world, gaining greater visibility with the rising popularity of electronic music. As a reaction to this, British electronic musician SBTRKT performs behind a tribal mask, preferring anonymity to the superstardom craved by most DJs.
Unlike the all-out excess of most modern dance music, the genius of SBTRKT’s music lies in subtlety. SBTRKT carefully crafts his sounds around a slew of vocalists: Jessie Ware, Sampha, and Yukimi Nagano – the lead vocalist in Little Dragon – were notable singers on his self-titled debut album. Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek and A$AP Ferg join Sampha as guest vocalists on his second album, “Wonder Where We Land,” which was released in early October.
SBTRKT’s strand of electronic music is far removed from the big room hits of artists considered superstars in the American DJ circuit, such as Calvin Harris and Skrillex, for his sound is far more atmospheric and nuanced, better heard in an intimate setting than at a large music festival.
SBTRKT’s first self-titled album is a tightly knit body of work – each song flows seamlessly into the next – and focuses on layering different electronic textures on top of one another, crafted perfectly to fit the guest vocalists, such as Jessie Ware and Sampha. On “Wonder Where We Land,” SBTRKT allows himself more artistic freedom, and songs like “New Dorp. New York” and “Voices in My Head” – featuring Ezra Koenig and A$AP Ferg respectively – see his signature sound venturing into funkier and jazzier territory.
Currently on tour in support of his second album, SBTRKT visited Los Angeles, playing at the Belasco Theater on Oct. 16. Flanked by two other instrumentalists, SBTRKT played through an eclectic mix of his own catalog, including crowd favorites “Wildfire” and “Trials of the Past” from his debut album and “New Dorp. New York” from “Wonder Where We Land.” Most DJs thrive on the bigger stage, playing to crowds of thousands, but SBTRKT is better heard in intimate venues like the Belasco. The smaller setting allows fans the chance to see the producer hone his craft, building songs up layer by layer, as a live instrumentalist would, instead of mixing together pre-recorded songs.
In 2014, the term electronic music usually refers to the maximal, over-the-top spectacle of pyrotechnics and bombast that are raves. Yet the term itself encompasses a far greater range of sounds and styles. Artists such as SBTRKT, who recorded his second album in seclusion off the coast of Essex, England, push the boundaries of modern electronic music as a reaction to the growing popularity of EDM. Choosing isolation over visibility, SBTRKT’s decision to record his second album away from the hustle and bustle of city life comes through in his sounds; a certain ambience of solidarity or isolation is a vital part of his signature sound.
In the age where DJs are plastered all over billboards and advertisements, it is interesting that one of electronic music’s most captivating artists prefers mystery behind his mask.
– Ishan Rampuria
