Drawing us in with intricate percussion and a dramatic piano, Hot Spoon, Cold Mango opens Paws on Ears with a track titled A Beckoning Plea Of A Call For Bears. The composition expands into a dimensional soundscape with astral nuances that immediately have us feeling immersed and transcendental.
Textured beats entice us further as we become one with the cosmic nature of the composition and are intertwined with the universe akin to an out of body experience.
Speaking on their creative process, Hot Spoon, Cold Mango also known as artist Stephen Meeker confesses, “Our team of audio alchemists has perfected the art of blending soundscapes, binaural beats, and frequency manipulation to induce astonishing visual experiences without the need for any external visuals.”
The invite us to picture ourselves, “soaring through fantastical landscapes, dancing with ethereal beings, and exploring dreamlike realms – all through the power of sound.”
This is just what the record feels like, and we are captivated. Next is Amongst The Roots Of Trees which feels intentionally designed to ground us in Earth energy with an Eastern twist, descending piano arpeggios and an airy soundscape.
Cows Standing Guard Protecting Their Llamas opens with the expansive sound of nature, followed by intimate keys, lending themselves to an almost meditative vibe before vibrant drums envelope us further. Next is Drooping Of Willow Trees Atop The Burrow Of Rabbit which takes on a more subversive edge with evocative and cerebral sound design.
First Dance Of Eight Paws sounds almost like a Mario Kart soundtrack (this is a compliment!). We are sent astral with wind instruments and it feels like nature unveiling itself to us. We then experience, Flower Picking Pink Elepppppphants which feels serene, yet introspective.
What we love about the record is the ebbs and flows we are taken on between electronica and organic instrumentation, as well as the dynamism of the overarching opus which feels in line with the chaotic yet nurturing nature of reality. The astral nuances on Flower Picking Pink Elepppppphants lend themselves to a psychedelic vibe, and needless to say, we cannot get enough.
Fly With Me My Lover Fennec holds an almost 80s soft rock vibe with elements of 8-bit, reminding us of a holographic universe. Forgotten Fables In Dusty Attics Of Abandoned Buildings grounds us once more, but showcases more experimental and Eastern side from the creator.
Fox Betrothed The Cat opens with cosmic emotion as we are invited once again to connect with source energy. The cinematic nature of the piece is tangible, and leads us cohesively onto Grazing On Mushrooms Sweet Grass Of Morning Dew Meadows which is the longest track on the record, with a jazz adjacency and glistening bells tapping into that psychedelic energy once more.
I Am Not Afraid Of You Penguins feels like the score to a romantic movie, whilst The Lovely Hippopotamus Sings For Her Lover Europa Von Mouse takes us on a hypnotic adventure, albeit equally romantic. Next is Ramblings Of Regenerative Rabbits which holds a similar energy – showcasing the cohesive nature of what Hot Spoon, Cold Mango can create when harnessing the power of love energy.
Stephen says, “The concept behind this album, much like the previous three, is to share worlds in which the artist lives in everyday and wanted to share a glimpse of each one. A mode of translation from sight and feeling (even though most things that the artist can see are not…to put this politely…not really visible to anyone else) into sounds that can later be decoded and inferred by the ears of another specimen so they may be able to see and feel the things that are not there for a brief moment.”
She Said It Was A Duck showcases panning synths and a fierce kick, whilst Sketching A Photogram Of Worlds brings us back to a more contained sense of reality. We welcome the drama of Walk To Find Trees, and the playful tech-happy Withdrawing Of Claws before a movie outro style conclusion with Zoologist Leave For The Evening.
Overall, the record was a cinematic and sometimes mind-altering adventure. The second half felt more true to reality whilst the first half took on a more creative expression of the universe.
We have added First Dance Of Eight Paws to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream the record, and anticipate future releases from Hot Spoon, Cold Mango!