Establishing the mood with cerebral static notions and a drumstick count-in, expanding to a textured beat, Brooklynzhen opens Light of the Dead with subversion and intrigue. The opus expands with panning astral textures evoking a more spiritual, cosmic atmosphere.
We connect with the intricacy of the sound design and the meditative core of the track that also exudes a pulsating drama. There are hypnotic motifs at play here, and the repetition creates a sense of ease before a celestial synthscape with high bell tones emerges.
There is no doubt that Light of the Dead holds a cinematic allure, perfect for the score of a film like Luc Besson‘s Lucy, or perhaps a TV show like PLUR1BUS on Apple TV. The build of the track is gradual and refined with the addition of more textures and perfectly placed melodic and percussion details.
The drama expands as does the high spiritual quotient of the track. We learn that Light of the Dead is designed to tell an emotional story about the environment. It seeks to imagine how wild animals like lizards and tropical birds might experience life in the Amazon, as their habitat is being destroyed, without fully understanding what’s happening around them. This message is important, intentional and zeitgeist and we are grateful that Brooklynzhen is shining a “light” on these issues.
This explains the melancholic notions that manifest and certainly the psychedelic adjacency and emergence of almost anxiety-inducing synths towards the end. Brooklynzhen tells us that it was recorded in a very raw and natural way, using only first takes across three sessions.
The authentic sound was created with simple gear and effects, then shaped later through panning and volume shifts to build an atmospheric sentiment. The result highlights the composer’s technical skill, whilst expressing themes of isolation, danger and environmental damage. Speaking on his process, Brooklynzhen says, “Recording a guitar and an analogue synth through a RAT pedal and a Boss SDE 3000 D digital delay pedal was immense fun to do in mono. A lot of post production panning and volume fading.”
Brooklynzhen is the artist name of Glasgow-based producer and musician, Allan McCafferty. Allan has roots in death metal and electronica, and now makes underground house and techno, inspired by classic club scenes and artists like Daft Punk. His goal is to create music that lifts people’s moods and offers a sense of escape through gritty, underground sounds.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added Light of the Dead to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Brooklynzhen, including 33rd Degree Jason, and Drugs R 4 Presidents.