We recently featured Seven Layer Piano Cakes when he teamed up with VRL on the moody and thought provoking single, Endgame, so when we heard that the talented artist had just released the Sagittarius J Mix of Holy Water, we couldn’t wait to experience it!
Establishing the mood with a luscious, industrial bassline and haunting vocal textures with enigmatic and melodic keys, Seven Layer Piano Cakes opens Holy Water with intrigue and dimensionality.
The opus expands with a sense of subversion and atmospheric vocals laced with poetic prowess and introspective metaphors. Speaking on the release, Seven Layer Piano Cakes confesses, “Holy Water (Sagittarius J Mix) is about being ok with what feels like the end of the world. Musically, it is designed to evoke imagery of two intense thunderstorms, with a mild rain in the middle section.”
`The visionary from Los Angeles adds, “It is influenced by various bands of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s, and ideally is listened to in a loud and focused setting.”
Once again, we deeply appreciate the dimensionality of the track and the dark wave meets alternative pop influences, which remain timeless. The synth solos are out of this world, and the message of the composition is very apt for today’s iteration of reality.
Seven Layer Piano Cakes is a rock and dream pop project of Sagittarius J (aka Justin Hoyt, a Los Angeles-based attorney and law professor), we learn that the track was co-produced, recorded, and mixed by his longtime collaborator, Ian Stahl, and mastered by the Grammy-winning engineer Steven Fallone at Sterling Sound.
Justin cites The Beach Boys, Beach House, Thrice, Pink Floyd, M83, New Order, and Depeche Mode as some of his influences, although there is no doubt that Seven Layer Piano Cakes is creating a unique sonic universe of his own.
We have added the Sagittarius J Mix of Holy Water to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream Seven Layer Piano Cakes‘ wider discography including Endgame.