"Cosmos packs an incredibly varied amount of sounds into an EP to the point where you feel like you’re absorbing the deftly sequenced and deeply textured canvas of a full album"
One of the most gratifying things about experiencing new music is thinking you have the measure of an artist or a label, only to have that completely turned on its head. Enter ‘Cosmos’ from Eusebeia aka Seb Uncles, better known for his self-released work on Rebellion Electronics and appearances on labels such as Earthtrax and Western Lore.
Seeing this hit Peverelist’s Livity Sound imprint, you’d be forgiven for readying yourself for some skeletal, angular beats, ready to experience that interplay between sound and silence. Well…throw that out of the window. ‘Cosmos’ packs an incredibly varied amount of sounds into an EP to the point where you feel like you’re absorbing the deftly sequenced and deeply textured canvas of a full album.
For fans of dBridge & Instra:mental’s ‘Autonomic’ project, bookends ‘Becoming’ and ‘Cosmos’, plus the soulful croon of ‘Fulfilment’, are full of commanding bass notes and glacial melodies. Appropriate soundtracks for the pale white, rose or yellow glows of late night urban streets. Then, going full dub ‘Solace’ embraces the echo chamber, pivoting between head held high proud, but muted, chords and a shoulder drop into eyes down, moody beats and bass.
Dispensing with the half-time mood entirely ‘Love + Light’ turns out a raw Amen break – no splices, just shifts in pitch and tone – to add a touch of LTJ Bukem’s Good Looking Records throwback energy, an easy partner for the huge bass and trance edged ‘Hope / Dreams’.
On the whole, while ‘Cosmos’ dances between the expected realms of drum & bass and dub, it has a surprise pivot with the melodic interludes of ‘Flux’ and ‘Commemerate’. They both touching on that often thrown-back-to between the 60’s and 80’s of brutalist synths and futuristic optimism, so aptly mined by the likes of Boards Of Canada and Pye Corner Audio.
’Cosmos’ has a lot to unpack, and the quality of the work is so rich and accomplished. Put it this way – if you ever found yourself in the position where you were calling time on vinyl with a final purchase, make this the one. It is utterly worth it.
‘Cosmos’ is scheduled for release 30 September via Livity Sound. Order a copy from Bandcamp.
TRACKLIST
1. Becoming
2. Hopes + Dreams
3. Fulfillment
4. Flux
5. Commemorate
6. Solace
7. Love + Light
8. Cosmos