Staff Reviews

The Host - The Host

Review by Sam Walby

A solid release with a solid identity that will appeal to fans of Kuedo’s Severant and classic Vangelis alike.»

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on his debut album the host works in a spacey interzone, using vintage gear to create dramatic panoramas for the headphoned mind. he creates a unique suite of modern impressionistic sonics that tumble and waft in and out of the mix, earthed with strong melodies that take inspiration from net-age genres while never recalling them directly. throughout, he masters all the potentials of vintage synths, drum machines and reverbs, along with guitar and bass to explore a sound that sets him apart from producers working on computers, creating something much more band-like but rich with lively micro-detail. opening track 'neo-geocities' is full of drifting synths and distorted drum machine toms reminicent of a jerry-rigged footwork style. 'angel fire' melts muted guitar and gentle keys into haywire 808 rhythms, while 'internet archaelogy' dubs hazy melodies, tape edits and bass guitar into murky but upliftingly melodic shapes. 'hidden ontology' riffs majestically over arpeggiated synths, while '3am surfing' and 'summer solstice at cape canaveral' sound like savoured quiet moments after a good night out. 'rainy sequences / phosphene patterns' is a dense and ecstatic blur of sound, coalescing into a pretty guitar melody weaving through the lush noise while 'aeontology's pastoral drift is probably best appreciated horizontal, and the delicate and exquisitely detailed spring mood of 'birthday bluebells' is a gentle closer. a focused and unique artist with a strong debut which often suggest a similar musical language as that of kuedo's 'severant'.
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