Stringing bits of sounds from daily life and intermingling them with expansive electronic soundscapes, Heurt has great intuition as a musician; that's not a statement made lightly, especially after having experienced his upcoming endeavor "Not Alone." We were fortunate enough to listen to it before its premiere, so here are our thoughts.
The independent alias Heurt creatively moves around the electronica sphere, mostly delving into ambient; his signature gets defined right away from his earlier release the "Sleeper EP" (2019), a bundle of four deeply immersive tracks, rich in atmosphere. Also having revealed an album prior ("mosaic" from 2022), the British composer hasn't limited himself to solo efforts: his collaboration project "soft city collective" with fellow producer Tom Dawson has also led to a titular EP, which includes a creative spin on the 2000's French House hit "Music Sounds Better With You" from Stardust— it's far more laidback and chill, using subtler synths and sparse percussions, giving more emphasis on the soulful cover of the repetitive, euphoria-inducing vocals from the original. Thus far, his work has been supported by BBC Introducing and signed onto reputed label imprints the likes of Mango Alley and Maldesoule.
Talking about his forthcoming album, Heurt explains how the songs are a juxtaposition of diverse sounds— whether they are snippets of his friends having a conversation— or random ambiance that went into his field recorder. This creative decision to collate organic elements and atmospheric synths has helped him explore the never-ending interrelationship between human emotions and sounds. Not wholly instrumental, the tracks are further humanized with vocals (although severely manipulated at times beyond understanding, added to the extended sound design at play). Heurt took inspiration nevertheless, from several books and poetry (such as "Sylvia" from Leonard Michaels in "Tulips," Max Porter's "Lanny" in "Where I Am Going" and "Bouquet" among several others). As for the creators who kept him motivated in the making of this album include musical pioneers such as Burial, Aphex Twin, Brian Eno, and more.
The first track "Arboretum" (yes, we did look it up, it means a botanical garden— perhaps indicative of an underlying theme of nature on this album) is a short and minimal introduction with lofty synths; there's more to unfold in "Waiting," a dark and hypnotic piece of ambient Garage, as the track employs a moody bassline cruising alongside dusty percussion and pitched-down vocals. A brisk house beat comes in during "Friends" with conversational soundbites in the backdrop, with moments of somber piano chords. "Eyes" intermingles an assortment of roomy vocals and random bursts of dialogue over a cinematic soundscape, while "Rd" has a contrasting demeanor; this tune packs a dynamic package of gritty synths and a thumping breakbeat. Distinctive in its making is the penultimate track "All I See," featuring intimate lead vocals over a sequence of shuffling, clicky percussions (also featuring mellow piano chords). "Forest" brings conclusion with a spacious ambient track much like the opener— a gentle and evocative finishing to this thoughtfully composed album.
Listen to the lead single "Waiting" from the album on Spotify, and get to know more about Heurt on his website and Instagram.
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