LateNightBeatFest is an experimental electronic artist that’s been making quite the splash recently, with their brand of experimental electronic music that blends influences from rock music, ambient techno, and then throws it together with organic sound textures that sound as delicious as a five-course meal. On their latest album, “Variance”, they delve deeper into their sound — keep reading for my thoughts!
The 11-track magnum opus is an otherworldly blend of sonic textures, seamlessly bringing together evolving rhythms, melodic motifs and soundscapes that grow organically, adding to the charm of the sound from the very first second. The gritty, textured low-end plays excellently with the arpeggiated synths that slowly build anticipation in the listener, while the lush pads in the background add to the vast, diverse atmosphere. When the drums eventually do announce their presence, it’s pure magic weaving itself together right by your very eyes, as you’re taken to another world with the expressive precision of the drumming. As we gently bid the song adieu, there’s only high spritz to ride on for the rest of the tracks to come.
As we journey on through “Variance”, we next encounter “2AM” — a darker, more ominous sound from the get go. The basses are angrier in this one, the pads more aggressive. When the rhythm does settle into its trademark energetic sound, there’s all the cinematic drama you’d expect — I kid you not, I don’t see this track not being in a pivotal scene in a crime drama; the sound is intense, bordering on all-pervading; and the textures only make the case stronger. The energy builds and stays high for the whole of the track, going from mercury to mercury all in but a flash.
Tracks like “Adept” bring the energy back down from the supernovas to a slower, more deliberate sound that gets the micro-details right; and on “Variance”, so far, what we’ve seen is pure mastery over sound. The way the elements evolve and hit just the right spots is truly remarkable. The sound design is exceptional, and the chemistry between the synths and the drumming unmistakable. The ominous sound does remain a highlight of the album, and we’re here to appreciate.
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Some other special mentions on “Variance” include the tracks “Hold”, “Crystal”, “Breathe”, and “Whisper” — all seemingly continuant into one another, there’s a certain charm in the atmosphere all throughout that is distinctive, tangible. The energy is palpable as your pulse rises and falls to the tempo of the tracks — “Crystal”, specifically, incorporating fun organic percussive elements for a very Arrakis-Paul Atreides sound. As we gently start to bid adieu to “Variance” on the track “Lightning”, one can’t help but look back on the light-year journey this album takes them on — all for them to crave it all over again.
The production on “Variance” is stupendous, to say the least– tastefully chosen elements, masterful placement, and better mixing even. The lows rumble, the mids project, and the highs sparkle — a series of mixes the befit the grandiose display of virtuosity on display throughout the album.
All in all, “Variance”, by LateNightBeatFest — spine-tingling chills, seriously. There’s only so much good one can say about a piece of music — yet this project, makes one look for compliments of the highest order. Take a listen to the album here:
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