Jonathan Yim

February Fortunes – Who We’re Watching in 2022

Posted on by Buket Urgen and Jonathan Yim

Vinyl Mag staff names nine artists that they’re keeping an eye on in this most transcendent year.

1. Nija

Nija is well-known in the industry as a songwriter and producer. She’s been writing songs for big-name artists since she was 20 years old. Beyonce, Jay-Z, Summer Walker, Cardi-B, Ariana Grande—the list goes on and on. In 2019, she was featured on a track on The Lion King: The Gift alongside Beyonce. In 2021, she finally released a trio of her own singles. Her solo work features her warm voice in silky R&B tracks. There’s a lot to look forward to in a potential full-length album from her. Luckily, she’s been teasing upcoming projects on her Instagram. By Buket Urgen

Listen to: “Ease My Mind (Come Over),” “Finesse,” “On Call”

2. Allison Pontier

Fairly new on the scene is Texan Allison Pontier. She has a transfixing voice with a southern accent that peaks through at select moments which meshes beautifully with how she embraces her roots in her songwriting and overall image. After a string of singles, she released a short EP in 2021. Even before she had released any of her own work, Lord Huron liked her voice so much, he asked her to be on a song with him. By BU

Listen to: “Cowboy,” “Late Bloomer,” “Hell Is A Crowded Room”

3. Pom Pom Squad

Mia Berrin began performing under the name Pom Pom Squad in 2015 when she was just 18 years old. Since then, Pom Pom Squad has transformed into a fully fleshed-out pop-punk band, and they released their debut album Death of a Cheerleader in 2021. The band is crafted around cheerleader aesthetics. However, Pom Pom Squad subverts the typical cheerleader image applying its femininity (the glam, the artifice, the attitude) to ideas that rarely co-exist in the cannon of cheerleaders like queer love.

The result is an authentic reflection of punk and a version of cheerleading that feels freer in its dismissal of everything we believe cheerleading is supposed to stand for—an accomplishment the likes of which Olivia Rodrigo hoped to achieve with “good 4 u.” A carefully crafted homage to punk DIY is, at the end of the day, a re-appropriation of its aesthetics rather than a true embrace of its original intent. But, I’ll step off my pedestal for now. You can catch Pom Pom Squad on tour right here. By BU

Listen to: “Head Cheerleader,” “Lux,” “Crying,” “Popular” (Nada Surf cover)

4. Mustafa

Toronto-born artist, Mustafa, released his debut solo album When Smoke Rises in May 2021. It’s a stunning collection of introspective folk songs about loss and grief. Mustafa began to share his poetry at an early age and his incisive writing comes through brilliantly in his solo work. Originally starting out in hip-hop, he was a member of the hip-hop collective Halal Gang, and produced and released a documentary, Remember Me, Toronto, about Canada’s hip-hop scene. Through his collaboration with the producer Frank Dukes, he has written songs for The Weeknd, Camila Cabello, and Justin Bieber. His minimal production; brassy, gentle vocals; and profound lyrics make him the ideal artist for times of reflection and meditation, even when the challenges you face seem too difficult and painful to approach. By BU

Listen to: “Ali,” “Air Forces,” “The Hearse”

5. Hikaru Utada

With their first full-length release in 4 years, J-pop star Hikaru Utada returns by way of a full-length effort, Bad Mode, whose tracklist boasts nearly an hour twenty of material. The collaborators on the project are not anything to scoff at either, seeing the likes of Skrillex, Floating Points, and A.G. Cook mark their stamp on the tracklist. The tracks veer side to side from lounge music to disco all the way over towards minimal techno. Not to mention the inclusion of the triumphant “One Last Kiss”, featured on the Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0 soundtrack. By Jonathan Yim

Listen to: “Somewhere Near Marseilles”, “Time”, “Find Love”

6. Bear1Boss

Atlanta-based rapper, Bear1Boss, has already blasted through the beginning of 2022 with a handful of singles and mixtape, Sicko Space X. The lineage of Bear1Boss’ influences seem quite obvious (see: Sahbabii, Bladee, UnoTheActivist, etc.) yet the 23-year-old rapper continues to push the boundaries of the current hip-hop meta. With some promising collaborations on the horizon and unrelenting release stamina, 2022 will see Bear1Boss add to his already prolific collection of works. By JY

Listen to: “Quit”, “Material Bwoy”, “Yuued”

7. Huerco S.

After 6 years away from the project, Kansas-born producer, Brian Leeds, is returning to the Huerco S. name with LP, Plonk. The hiatus without new Huerco S. has left a void in the hearts of fans fiending for another hypnogogic ambient excursion. But since making decade-end lists and a Frank Ocean co-sign of 2016’s For Those Of You Who Have Never…, Leeds has decided to keep the project away from a possible pigeonhole. Plonk will see Leeds exploring where he is now, or in 2019, rather, as most of the material has been sitting on a hard drive for the past few years. He urges listeners to keep an open mind as the Huerco S. project is free-flowing in form and will simply allow Leeds to make the music he is feeling at any given moment. By JY

Plonk is out on February 25th via Incienso Records.

8. LANNDS

Hailing from Jacksonville, FL, somewhere close to home and quite influential to me in my formative years, I can’t help but think LANNDS is definitely a duo to watch. Recently being spotlighted as Album of the Day by Bandcamp, it is almost a ticking time bomb to watch them increase in following and recognition. LANNDS seems to do it all, bringing achey beats, haunting vocals, and synthy wavelengths to funnel through you. I look forward to catching one of their shows. By JY

Listen: “ninety four”

lotus deluxe has just dropped on Run For Cover Records. 

9. yeule

yeule is no one new to the scene, with tracks of their 2019’ album, Serotonin II, compiling multimillion plays on streaming. but, with their recent release, Glitch Princess, growth and evolution is evident. Waking up from a massive software update, the robot — the embodiment of the album — tells us their story of placing themself back into this earthly plane. Gauging the ebb and flow of music and style influence, yeule is someone to watch as we trickle closer and closer everyday into the uncanny valley. By JY

Listen to: “Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty”

Glitch Princess is available now via Bayonet Records.

iii Points 2021 Recap: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Posted on by Jonathan Yim

If you’re unfamiliar with Miami music festival iii Points, it’s quite singular as far as US-based festivals go. Gates run from 5 pm to 5 am, reminiscent of many EU-based fests, many of the acts identify with the dance music genre, and there’s a heavy emphasis on local and international talent. On paper, this should be the festival that fills the void of the late-night city festivals, like the now-defunct Day for Night (which in all honesty, good riddance), providing us rave-seekers an outlet to work out all this pent-up energy in the knees. But iii Points has been plagued with a slew of issues ranging from hurricanes to artist cancellations via the pandemic (RIP Zenker Brothers and Special Request). Regardless, promoters were dead set on a return to Wynwood in 2021 and they made it happen. It wasn’t all peaches and cream, more on that later, but I would like to think most that made the trek left with smiles on their faces.

The Good – The Music

In my humble opinion, this should be the main reason that anyone attends iii Points. The booking team provides a jaw-dropping curation of genres, house to techno to hip-hop to indie, second to only Coachella for my US dollars. If you don’t particularly care for a highly-detailed set of acts and are just looking to party with your friends, this probably isn’t the fest for you.  

The first day was hectic. Rushing into the festival after a poorly-communicated rain delay, I was able to catch the tail end of Vegyn, who put a smile on my sullen face after transitioning a Playboi Carti leak into “Miss the Rage”. After Vegyn came Objekt, who tore down the Main Frame stage with a mix of breakbeats, 909’s, and an unexpected amount of groove. Kelly Lee Owens marked the point in which Main Frame became filled to the brim but managed to keep the crowd moving in the stew of sweat, smoke, and other smelly aromas. Yves Tumor blew my damn mind with a glammy opening of the hits, “Gospel For A New Century”/ ”Jackie”/”Noid”/ etc., before being rudely interrupted by a torrential downpour. However, I don’t think the band and it’s frontperson were too pressed as they almost summoned the rain and reveled in it before being told off by fest coordinators. This rain delay did give me a chance to stumble into a crowd of rollers and trippers dancing violently to local DJ’s, Coffintexts, hammering of breakbeats. Romy gave an unexpected dance party of a mix, fitting in perfectly before Peggy Gou, whose mix was everything and more than I had hoped for. She focused on techno for the Miami audience and kept the pace at 140 for the entirety of her set until crowd favorite and smash-hit “Starry Night” got everyone’s phone up in the air. Jamie XX ended the early-morning with a mix of bass, disco, and soul samples.

Day two was less hectic. I was only able to catch three/four sets: Virgil Abloh, John Tejada, Johnny from Space, and AceMoma. Virgil made the hour and a half time slot worth the price of admission with a full mix of his unreleased “Ibiza (Won’t Be Late)” and a mix of Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow”, a unashamed favorite of mine, into Overmono’s “So U Kno” (shout out to those of you keeping up with VM’s weekly playlists). My friends and I couldn’t have asked for a better 1-2-3 punch from the Celebrity DJ. Next was John Tejada on the tucked away Isotropic stage whose techno mix strayed from his more minimal works, but perfectly soundtracked the news that the Braves had made it to the world series. After shotgunning a Stella Artois, I made the short trek to the S3QUENC3 stage, which by the way, was one of the coolest designs for a festival stage I’ve ever seen. Johnny from Space was currently keeping the party going for those who were preparing for my most anticipated and favorite set of the weekend, AceMoma. The New-York based duo did not waste anytime in getting the crowd to go nuts. Track after perfectly-mixed track turned the entire crowd’s clock to zero as a surprised yet over joyous MoMa Ready informed the audience that “We’ve only been playing for 30 minutes!”.  The boys just about threw every genre, from house to Drum and Bass to Techno to what sounded like Mario Kart music, that the 4 CDJ’s could handle. To say it was a religious experience would be an understatement and I had to fight off tears at the end of the set. Magical.

The Bad – The Weather

Every festival promoter’s worst nightmare is rain. iii Points has a combative history with rain and 2021 was no exception. And boy, did South Florida have a lot of it to offer Friday evening. Gates were pushed back an hour and a half as faith in the 15-minute Florida shower theory dwindled to nill. No communication from the iii Points staff was sent out to attendees other than a wildly optimistic Instagram story stating “Clear skies ahead!”… yeesh. Once in to the festival the grounds weren’t too muddy as much of the venue was atop of concrete, yet the 5pm acts were unable to perform. As mentioned before, another Yves Tumor summoned storm hit around 11:30 pm, delaying all current sets, sauf pour Coffintexts, and funneling majority of attendees out of the fest or into the cover of the Main Frame (so much for getting close at Peggy Gou). Shoes were soaked, shirts ruined, and illness likely filled the lungs of attendees but unfortunately there’s none to blame other than mother nature. Hopefully, iii Points communication/decision making team learned a thing or two from the fiasco.

The Ugly – $6+ Water

Liquid Death. An incredibly stupid idea to can water that has been slowly gaining popularity within festival bars since 2018. Leading up to the festival, it became apparent there would not be free water stations and to that I ask… why?? Event coordinators should know that it is extremely dangerous to not have immediate access to free water and that waiting in the lengthy bar lines could be detrimental to the well-being of attendees. It would just seem to me that having water stations would be cheaper in the long run-in avoiding potential for lawsuits… profit should not be taking priority over the safety of attendees. Despite the ethical dilemma of no free water, the pricing on the trendy liquid death is abhorrent. $6 for water plus the 18% Miami service charge plus tip adds up quickly when combining it with other drinks/food. I guess there’s an argument to be made for the “Don’t attend the fest if you can’t afford it” but to those critics I’d politely retort “Fuck off”. So yeah, a Liquid Death sponsorship, which I should clarify is not problematic as long as there are alternative free water stations, awards iii Points with the title for “Most Expensive Water Options”. Coachella, you’re up next.

Overall, the good outweighed the bad and ugly at iii Points 2021. I left with memories to cherish for years and a smile on my face. As long the booking team can continue to provide a European-style electronic experience in South Florida, I see no reason why I wouldn’t return to iii Points, hopefully with a deeper wallet next time!

Tasting Notes – Fall Heat Wave

Posted on by Jonathan Yim

Welcome to my new column here at Vinyl Mag: Tasting Notes! I have had this idea bouncing inside my head for a little while now yet for some reason haven’t gotten around to writing it. Each edition of Tasting Notes will feature a themed menu with a few projects that deserve your time. This week’s theme is Georgia’s Fall Heat Wave. With the weather unable to decide if we will be blessed with Autumntime here in Athens, might as well make the most of the heat and enjoy some tunes better fit for summertime. Let’s take a look at the seasonal menu!

salute – Condition ([PIAS] Recordings)

You’ll have to forgive me as this selection is not a 2021 release, however, Austrian-born producer, salute, has been making waves in the UK Garage & Bass scene with his sweetly infectious DJ sets throughout the year. With his 2019 effort, Condition, Salute curated a tracklist with some of the most refreshing dance music in recent memory. Remarkably light yet sugary, listeners would be hard-pressed to find a better group of tracks to pair with sunny and 85°. Oh, and this is the project that birthed the idea for this column!

Light, Carbonates, Honeycrisp Apple, Ranch Water, Seabreeze, Chlorine, Fleur de sel, Lemon Zest, Pickled Radish

Ducks Ltd. – Modern Fiction (Carpark Records)

Toronto-based jangle-pop duo, Ducks Ltd., debuts their first full-length record on Carpark records in staggering fashion. Keeping pace with their debut EP Get Bleak, Modern Fiction satiates any indie-pop cravings with track after solid track of forwarding guitars and 4/4 drumbeats. It’s easy to draw comparisons to Ducks Ltd.’s influences and contemporaries (college rock guitars ala Real Estate meets UK post-punk DnB), yet the duo manages to use this to their advantage. Modern Fiction showcases Ducks Ltd.’s sprightly compositions and deft songwriting capabilities, perfect for dancing in a stranger’s living room.

Medium, Cinnamon & Almond, Hops, Coca-Cola, Cedar Box, White Pepper, Fennel, Bar-Tar, Morning Dew, Potato Leek Soup

Purple Kiss – HIDE & SEEK (RBW Inc.)

Where do I begin with Purple Kiss’ HIDE & SEEK? 2021 K-pop has required a savior after a glistening 2020… until HIDE & SEEK came along. RBW’s precocious girl group has proven themselves alongside the likes of K-pop veterans and label mates, MAMAMOO, in a little under 7 months. Title track “Zombie” is a Halloween dance party anthem emphasizing treat over the trick. “2am” contextualizes the ballad formula through a western lens with classical orchestration and pedal steel inexplicably reminiscent of early Faye Webster. The chorus begins: “I’m in love with this comfy mood”, explicating the project’s ethos with alarming self-awareness. Yet despite HIDE & SEEK’s candy-coated comfort, many of the tracks here focus on relational turmoil and questioning, namely standout: “So WhY”. I really couldn’t urge you enough to dance, cry, drive, or unwind with HIDE & SEEK… it’s all here.

Medium to Full, Grape Fanta, Acetone, Empress Gin, Crystal Rock Candy Lollipop, Oyster Shell, Pumpkin Flesh, Pour Over Coffee, Steel

Tems – If Orange Was A Place (Since ’93/RCA)

Breakout Lagos-born superstar Tems is following up an explosive 11 months of stardom, after fronting Wizkid’s mainstream hit “Essence” and finding herself on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, with If Orange Was A Place. As if the music itself didn’t paint a vivid picture of the flavors incorporated, the title rounds this profile together quite neatly. Each track here oozes setting sunshine, almost as if you’re running out to the car before a long evening out. Lead single “Crazy Tings” opens on this liminal note; swirling rhythms and a one-sided monologue exclaim “So you need, someone to deceive/ And you’re trying to think that I’m the one for you”. Tracklist highlight “Replay” finds Tems in a moment of reflection and reassurance (“I’ve been distant to keep my distance/ Goodbye to a boring life”) amongst infectious melodies and syrupy-thick drum patterns. If Orange Was A Place is rich; a picture of a woman finding strength in herself lit only by the sun kissing the horizon.

Full, Pineapple, Lychee, Cashew, Ginger, Sea Bass, Magnolia, Worn-in Leather, Lanolin

Review: Skee Mask – ‘Pool’

Posted on by Jonathan Yim

Dance music has found itself in a stalemate throughout the age of pandemic. A genre whose beating heart lies on a club floor surrounded by individuals experiencing spiritual urges to move their bodies was demoralized at the snap of a finger. With physical spaces stolen away, the innate physicality of dance music became isolated inside and online.

Berlin-based producer Bryan Müller, aka Skee Mask, found himself further sharpening his production chops with a pair of EPs released at the prolonged apex of lockdown. Critics have pointed out retrospectively that these two projects are a direct response to required isolation, and I say looking back these two projects simply tease a taste of what was to come. After the well-deserved critical backing behind one of the 2010’s most fully realized electronic projects, Compro, ISS005 and ISS06 felt like a regression in scope for Müller. The stunning synthesis of ambient, dub, and break that catapulted Müller into the esteemed artist he is today were seemingly separated by an X-Acto knife. Each EP undeniably taut — breathing new life into grime and ambient production — yet lacking the humane “special sauce” that elevates Skee Mask above fellow contemporaries.

Expectations were set sky-high for Skee Mask’s full length follow up to Compro, and he meets expectations if not often exceeding them. Surfacing tracks that predate a lot of Müller’s released output while weaving current electronic ruminations into 100+ minutes of material, Pool does not amount to a mere compilation but rather feats a complete statement.

From start, opener “Nvivo” wraps listeners in a lightly tattered quilt of acid tech and ambient loops — a salutary encouragement to run outside and feel every tickling blade of grass beneath your feet. Müller follows this path towards amb-techno highlights “Rdvnedub” and “CZ3000 Dub”, with the latter track’s twinkly yet cathartic push-and-pull primed and ready to load into a CDJ. Müller’s toe-dip into footwork on “Pepper Boys” features a youthful whimsy akin to Suzi Analogue or Vegyn’s recent work. Pool leans into the sonic playground that dance music can be, further reminding listeners that only a sympathetic being could construct sounds such as these.  

As Skee Mask handily swims further into the deep end, the current sucks in moments like “Breaking Method,” an unrelentingly aggressive breakbeat cut fitting in snuggly amongst the Ilian Tape roster. Another highlight, “Testo BC Mashup”, opens with a jumbled radio transmission only to dunk you head first into drum & bass rhythms followed by ambient soaked hats and pads allowing a moment for air, before the D’n’B pulls us back in. It would be remiss to not vet the contemplative “Ozone” or the subsequent exercise in self-doubt: “Rio Dub”. Each track operating miles above sea level for some necessary R&R. And this is not to say that Müller has depleted listeners’ stamina, rather each track takes the form an undulating body of water.

Skee Mask has cemented himself as an artist whose undying ambition remains his greatest strength. The “special sauce” missing from aforementioned Iss05&06 is the worldliness that Müller so effortlessly breathes into the inherently digital. For Pool, Müller looked outside for grounding: thin air mountain tops and crashing waves characterize the form these tracks heed to (easy to see why Müller pays respect to one of Germany’s ambient techno greats). Not only does Skee Mask deftly wield the line between analog and digital, but also the past and future. Each track on Pool is familiar via Müller’s comprehensive music knowledge and dedication to creating something wholly his own.

Pool is available for purchase on the Ilian Tape Bandcamp.

REVIEW: Kareem Ali – ‘Getting Through’

Posted on by Jonathan Yim

Upon doing research for this review, I noticed that Phoenix-based producer Kareem Ali’s Instagram bio reads “I create music for everything in the universe”. Marry this ethos with Ali’s one-of-a-kind Boiler Room mix, set in the sunset-soaked desert outskirts of Phoenix, and this mission statement tells listeners everything we need to know.

Throughout the past year, Ali has been garnering acclaim from artists and publications across music, with Resident Advisor claiming that Ali “might be the house artist on the pandemic era”. With 100+ tracks under his belt in the past year, this take couldn’t be overstated. After several years of working in the shadows, Ali has collected co-signs from some of the most current voices in the electronic music landscape, landing himself a spot on AceMo and MoMa Ready’s “HOA012” compilation along last year with the likes of Loraine James and the aforementioned NYC-based duo, AceMoMa.  What stumps my brain about RA’s claim is the innate connection Ali’s music to the earth itself and the world that surrounds us. How can 2020, a time characterized by the time we spent indoors, be reflected on through somebody who’s vision lies outside?

Ali’s most recent EP, Getting Through, provides us with insight regarding how this could be possible. The project opens with “Como Me Siento Por Ti (Instrumental Version)”: a track primed to join Luomo on any Crying in the Club playlist. Ali starts the track off with repeating synth chords, held down by piano notes that lead these arpeggios, swelling until percussion kicks down the door. A faint vocal loop musters out “I feel so alone” as the track’s calculated pace chugs along. The vocal loop feels confessional; as if the person’s best friend pulled them off the dancefloor to ask, “What’s wrong?”

The next track, “Pushing Through”, puts Ali’s versatility front and center. Ali stews in feelings of isolation; turning 90 degrees away from house towards trip-hop. Muted vocals and drums reminiscent of Geoff Barrow’s work are not intent on pulling us out of the emotional slump quite yet. And before we know it, Illangelo-like percussions patterns kick off “Dreams of You”, building towards the spiritual confrontation of “Feelings Never Go”. Ali’s hypnagogic vocals repeat the phrase “Outside, inside flawed in love/The feelings always stay, they’ll never, ever go” as arpeggios sugarcoat kicks that fight against the rhythm.  The result is remarkable as Ali keeps listeners in their bag while constantly bobbing heads.

Getting Through’s closer, “Euphoria”, proves to be the most uplifting track on the project. Ali channels a techier side of house while keeping the instrumentation distinctly fresh. Synths are the punchiest on the project and the speedy BPM treats those ready to be back in the club. Past the upbeat feeling of “Euphoria”, I find the answer to the question posed earlier. Understanding the connection between others, ourselves, and the earth we walk on lies at the heart of house music; Ali just digests this connection through a spiritual identity. After a year of the inside/outside dichotomy remaining forefront of many people’s minds it becomes obvious why such praise has been thrown Ali’s way.

Getting Through is a wonderful place to start if these questions have been on your mind and is streaming now on Bandcamp and Spotify

REVIEW: Cities Aviv – ‘The Crashing Sound of How It Goes’

Posted on by Jonathan Yim
THE CRASHING SOUND OF HOW IT GOES by Cities Aviv

I was stuck in a place/I couldn’t get up/what happens next?

How does one begin to grieve growth from one chapter of life to another? Loved ones lost, a regressive sociopolitical landscape, and the impending fears of aging all come crashing down on one to the point of mortal acceptance. Memphis-based writer/rapper/producer Gavin Mays, professionally known as Cities Aviv, opens The Crashing Sound of How It Goes with an answer to this question: “Let’s make the day intentional… Let’s make the day worth something”. Yet seldom do we find an answer to these plaguing thoughts at any point of our lives, let alone at the beginning. Regardless, this mantra of “Let’s make the day intentional” is a starting point.

For the last decade, Mays has been quietly evolving his voice, as fitting ways to express himself become apparent. Listeners are quick to draw comparisons between his output and whatever movement in rap is dictating the current zeitgeist (see any of Pitchfork’s reviews of Mays work or the RateYourMusic comment box for The Crashing Sound…) but fail to acknowledge what strength lies in the freedom Mays wields over creativity. But in part you can’t blame these critics’ shortsightedness; Mays’ sound is impossible to pin down. He constantly switches up his sound from project to project but keeps hip-hop, electronic production, and collage-like arrangement as grounding forces that allow his voice in rap to remain completely singular. The Crashing Sound… is no exception with Mays allowing soul, jazz, and pop loops to articulate where his head is at.

Mays finds himself asking the world to help him bear personal weight on his shoulders; allowing production to build a foundation for questions he struggles to answer. “Near You” features a sample that cries out “I just want to be near you” while Mays asks, “what’s the status of these barriers between you and me?” Fans of ambient and loop music are invited to join with “Face Pressed Against Glass”, where Mays dives headfirst into electronic soundscapes that radiate piercing hope through the other side of his apartment window. The effect is similar to the brazen confidence of “Imma Stay Here”, with Mays unapologetically shouting self-love proclamations from the rooftop. Now don’t get it twisted, these two tracks are diametrically opposed in energy, but reinforce the notion that Mays is the protagonist of this discombobulated narrative. Both tracks warrant smiles from the listener, with varying levels of teeth showing. The smiles are few and far between throughout the track list but keep listeners from tiring over the Mays’ immobility.  

If a single word had to sum up what Mays is looking for throughout The Crashing Sound… it would have to be clarity. Recurring themes of peering through holes (keys, crevices, levees breaking) litter tracks as the quest for answers unfolds. Why don’t we talk anymore? What went wrong? Do you realize what I gave up for this? Why is the worth of my life deemed less? Why was he the one to pass? These questions bounce around Mays’ head for the duration of the project until the levee breaks with the realization on “Series of Goodbyes”. Mays lets out a drunken declaration that he will “sculpt a better way to break the mold and operate” while thanking everyone that stayed with him through the process. He finds the crushing volume that uncertainty rings at in our ears is no longer as loud as it once was.

The Crashing Sound of How It Goes is now streaming on Bandcamp and Spotify