Jesse Mason is about to release his latest effort, “CitySpeak,” a nifty electronic, ambient disc with a leaning toward the old 8 bit sounds of the video games that have inspired the Chemical Brothers, M83, and so many more. Heck I’ll even give the guy credit for a couple nods to Kraftwerk.
Now, most of my readers know that electronica in its purest forms is not my normal bag. That being said right out front, I think I can move forward with an open mind, now.
Working on a Rolland setup, CitySpeak’s Mason mixes quirky bleeps and bloops into deep-trance beds with big, lush pads, and trashy drums making a rather unique outcome. There is a vibe or feeling through the EP that makes me think of the artsy crime movies Jason Statham does. I can’t quite describe it, but it’s there – a sense of urgency, almost desperation, creeping through the ones and zeroes. How that’s possible, I don’t know.
Devoid of lyrics, it seems a difficult task to actually convey emotion with electronic music, but the cat pulls it off! Like I said, it’s not my normal cuppa, but I do believe I’ll be storing these tracks on my nexus to plug in for some of the long-distance late-night drives I get to pull. It’s that kind of thing for me.
The film thing keeps coming to mind as I listen to the disc a second time. Ya know, I think I’ll see if he might let license a couple tracks for a video project or two. That’s a thought I don’t have often, (and have never published) but… hey, Jesse, if you’re reading this, shoot me a line…
Looking for something a little off the beaten path? This just might be your thing. You can connect with CitySpeak on :
www.facebook.com/cityspeakmusic
http://www.reverbnation.com/cityspeak
https://soundcloud.com/cityspeakmusic
CitySpeak is fronted by Jesse Mason, whose eclectic music style began at a young age with his fascination for the oldschool chiptunes of classic videogames. Striving to produce the interesting and unusual; atmospheric, (big-stadium sounds) are often paired with bold chiptune synths and bass. This seemingly odd combination results in a refreshingly new twist on today’s often “cookiecutter” electronic music.
CitySpeak actively engages his fans, and reaches out to them on a regular basis. You can find him frequenting Cityspeak’s music pages, (facebook, soundcloud, etc.) posting updates on upcoming releases and responding to what his listeners are saying about his music.
