Brady Kendall known also as Alaskan Tapes is a Canadian producer and composer based out of Toronto. Diving into his discography you are quickly submerged in a smorgasbord of soundscapes, plucked guitar and a host of lavish, atmospheric strings and synths that make up the body of his work; exploring the realms of ambient, drone and fragile electronica. Brady’s work can be heard on a variety of short films, and while Kendall has created some conventional songs, he seems mostly interested in the abstract; drawing you gently into the most intimate of spaces.
‘The Times Are Tired’ is no exception. The unmistakable sound of a sliding steel string of an electric guitar opens the track giving you a brief impression that we are about to settle into some raw vocal/guitar rendition. Instead delicate elements soften the steel strumming and elevating strings join to harmonize what I can only describe as a moment in music that embodies heat-break and loss. This is Alaskan Tapes at his best. While, if I am completely honest, I really wanted more from this piece. For me it ends too soon, it feels like I was introduced to the most beautiful of moments only to have it taken away. Whatever Brady’s intention, we are treated to something special if only for a fleeting moment.
Catch more from Alaskan Tapes here:
Texas-native Frythm drops Ambient, Folktronica gem
Matthew Pena aka Frythm is a song writer, producer and DJ from Texas who is starting to build momentum from a series of releases on Soundcloud. One look at his output over the last few months and you can tell he has been busy. While the majority of his releases have been more club focused, recently we seem to take a departure from his infectious high energy offerings to something more serene.
Mariposa is a track that seems to be built on reflection. It reminds me of waking up on a peaceful Sunday morning. It gives the listener almost the sensation of that first morning stretch of the limbs while being highly nostalgic and contemplative. It exudes heart break and loss. It plays like a love letter to a lost lover. The track starts off wistful, airy and its ambient free- floating back ground noise and loose percussion make you drift away into your thoughts but the lush haunting vocal textures later draw you back down to earth with poignant affect. While Mariposa has a short run time of 2:40 it doesn’t take much time to draw you in and leave you with a lasting impression.
Frythm shows us that he is not a one trick pony and is very much a producer with a firm grip on his craft and range. An up and comer to watch for sure, I am excited to see what comes next.
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