Having only discovered ye. two releases ago, my time with the artist has been limited. I was unfamiliar with his previous work and in a way, this clean slate made discovering his innate talent and thoughtful production style that much more enjoyable. I have always been a fan of electronic music that takes a more subtle route.
There is a gentle yet powerful energy with productions that are crafted with a deeper meaning in mind. After falling in love with ye. over the course of reviewing his last two singles, hearing the full Trails EP has felt like nothing short of the culmination of a psyche altering experience.
ye. – Trails
Trails is an eight-track journey. Each record on the EP feels to have been meticulously built from past experiences and memories. Leading off with ‘Drive', Trails immediately paints a picture of what is to come. While the tracks are relaxed in nature, do not let this chilled out vibe fool you – there is some serious emotional energy in these songs.
Instead of relying on soaring builds and heavy releases of tension, ye. lures the listener in with an accessible and infectious sound. Gentle bouncing beats float on by as with each note the listener gets taken just a bit farther away from reality. Midway through the EP during ‘Four (Interlude)' ye. begins to experiment with some sonic trickery. As the song fades out, overlaid ethereal chords ring out with a shimmering, otherworldly quality.
Curated to Perfection
While the closing four tracks of the EP include the 2 previously released singles, ye. demonstrates his talent in a different fashion. It was during ‘Station' that I realized how well curated the album is. This isn't a collection of eight random tunes, instead, it is a carefully laid out blueprint of how to connect with a listener on the deepest possible level. Each track has been placed where it lies for a specific reason, and this attention detail is rarely seen in the electronic music of today.
The aptly named ‘Bonus Track' closes out Trails. Upon listening to the final song I got the same feeling in the pit of my stomach that I get when listening to the closing set of a music festival. While I am enjoying myself immensely in the present moment, there is a general sense of sadness that the experience is over. The song closes with an arrangement of xylophone-like synths. These striking sounds click and clack away like the keys of an author's typewriter as he/she finishes the final sentence of a novel.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is a story that I will revisit time, and time again. If you are not familiar with ye. do yourself a favor and follow his socials, as he is one of the most exciting producers to hit the world of EDM in quite some time. Check out Trails below.
Follow ye.:
https://www.facebook.com/pronouncedyea
https://twitter.com/pronounced_yea
https://www.instagram.com/pronouncedyea
https://soundcloud.com/pronouncedyea