"Despite leaning towards an introspective electronic sound, ‘Selected Classics’ doesn’t become a morose “grief record”; instead, that narrative allows for the music to showcase an emotional core"
You’ve got to admire the confidence in releasing an album and using “classic” anywhere in the title. A term typically reserved for end of career (or contract fulfilling) best-ofs, it can spell doom if the sounds don’t live up to that lofty word. And what to make of it when such a title is assigned to a 100-track Bandcamp only release? Denver, Colorado artist FOANS (Andrew Dahabrah) dropped ‘Classics’ online back in 2019, initially intending it as a sprawling, 6-hour conclusion to the project. The collection was marked as “ a comprehensive culling of the hard drive, after which there’d be ‘no looking back’”.
Since that declaration, FOANS has not ceased to exist; instead, Dahabrah put out the 2021 album ‘Gateway’, which was reissued by 100% Silk in 2022. The label saw potential in the ‘Classics’ collection, opting to cull the cream of the proverbial crop into ‘Selected Classics’, an 11-track distillation of crisp, muscular electronics and tech house.
Both ‘Gateway’ and ‘Selected Classics’ were described as sounds made to process grief and work through personal matters. That thematic direction is apparent in the solitary nature of the listening experience. These are not tracks to drop during peak hours, or even in a club. Like many releases on 100% Silk, FOANS explores electronics by way of a solemn, communal experience between artist and listener.
From the opening tones of “Medicine Man”, there’s a groove suited for solo listening that’s ingrained in the album’s DNA. Rather than kick up a euphoric dancefloor vibe, the tracks of ‘Selected Classics’ present minimal elements in each song that are hazy, hypnotic bedroom techno burners yet play out with a distinct focus. Many long-form electronic albums offer ambient interludes or sprawl out a bit. Not on ‘Selected Classics’. There’s a directness to the album’s runtime where not a second is wasted energy.
“Immersion Resistance” offers woozy synths drifting like clouds aloft above a technoid kick drum beat. With a few small flourishes, the tune is more or less a simple, groovy pattern that rides along on a meditative, head nodding vibe. Elsewhere, “Amalgam Lotus” adds slippery percussive snaps to its rhythm that is bouncy, loose without being sprawling, and one of the most dancefloor adjacent tracks on ‘Selected Classics’ without losing its sense of intimacy and communion with the listener.
“Picture Method,” situated near the album’s conclusion, offers a tight, slightly melancholic sound. The synths come off like ethereal vocals creeping in from the void, soothing the listener as the track’s rhythm pulls them deeper and deeper. That sense of a beautiful abyss continues into “Emotional Counterpoint”, a floaty, beatless slice of ambience. The beats return as the album fades out in the extended “Technique Of The Descent”, but it’s hard to shake that sense of sorrow.
Despite leaning towards an introspective electronic sound, ‘Selected Classics’ doesn’t become a morose “grief record”; instead, that narrative allows for the music to showcase an emotional core. The listener can connect with it in whatever headspace they bring into the listening experience. FOANS utilizes house music tropes to offer an inviting, immersive sonic realm that’s easy to zone into and tough to put down. While we can all agree that it’s best that the project did not cease, FOANS delivers an excellent collection of tracks, as ‘Selected Classics’ does indeed live up to the title.
‘Selected Classics’ is scheduled for release July 7 via 100% Silk. Order a copy from Bandcamp. To coincide with the album release, FOANS is also issuing an essential expansion pack named ‘Extended Classics‘. In stock on Inverted Audio Store.
TRACKLIST
1. Medicine Man
2. Immersion Resistance
3. Indebted To The Simulation
4. Coyote Chase
5. Distorted Inner Vision
6. Amalgam Lotus
7. Visioning
8. Oneiric Critical
9. Picture Method
10. Emotional Counterpoint
11. Technique Of The Descent