Wednesday, 10 August 2016

Pilotredsun "Achievement" (2016)


The mysterious Pilotredsun, or pilot red sun, is an anonymous American musician who's aesthetic for cheaply drawn cartoons with twisted, disturbing undertones is united with quirky electronic music. In my mind the two don't pair up, I see the charming side of the tunes, which maybe due to drawing comparisons with the more conventional Izioq. This collection of songs have a whiff of Chiptune, a touch of VGM but reside as melodies played on synthesizers with tones to compliment its vision which is down to interpretation. It may come across as mysterious, creepy and eccentric but for me I feel the warmth that exudes from the music passes the slightly quirky choices in vst's as a sort of childlike innocence. Its nostalgic, I see images of running across train tracks chasing a balloon, trying to jam a fork into the strange hole in the wall, or attempting to unscrew the lid of a strange bottle of blue liquid from under the sink. For me that quirky, eerie quality is danger, the sort young children aren't aware of as they explore their curiosity in a world of beautiful shapes and colors.

"Achievement" is fun, playful and flows with a free spirit. Simple melodies and there accommodating instruments create an ease for the listener to slide into. Nothing over complicates and there is just enough going on to enrich what is inherently simple, often two to three lines and light percussion. The drums are rather subdued but in "Warsaw" they burst to life with a bolder kit sounding more genuine than an 8-bit kit as some other tracks do. The genius comes from the selection of instruments to play these melodies. The slightly quirky, off kilt and "derpy" wave forms compliment the spirit of the music and add to that eccentric vibe which might come off as eerie or creepy, to me it is full of innocence.

The records production has a relatively simple job of balancing just a few, noninvasive instruments and so not much can be said other than it serves its purpose. The record has a great flow, nothing feels over played, or stretched out and between the twelve there is a comfortable balance of melodies and aesthetics. In the records run time a soothing atmosphere free of burden or worry is formed like a bubble drifting into the skies. Its engrossing and uplifting. Absolutely loving this record and Ive only gotten around to it a handful of times, just one of those you can connect with quickly.

Favorite Tracks: Warsaw, Sadpad, 8-Train, Funny Animals
Rating: 8/10