object blue - Grotto

  • A theatrical yet vulnerable EP from the compelling UK producer.
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  • Grotto marks object blue's return to TT following the release of her breakthrough 2018 Do You Plan To End A Siege? EP. It's highly theatrical, like an electronic opera, though the heightened emotions leave room for touching moments of uncertainty and vulnerability. "Open Close" and "Closed Open," the tracks that bookend the EP, center on a similar synth motif. On the latter, the heraldic brass of the intro is transposed to a minor-key chorale synth patch, switching the mood from impassioned to uncertain. The synths on "Fugitive's Flourish" are played with classical rigor and complexity, but stop short at the end, as if object blue were fleeing from inevitable applause for the virtuosic performance. Time is elastic on Grotto. On "Opened Close," the lack of a beat and space within the Glass Swords-style leaves room for dramatic pause, enhancing the theatricality of it all. Then there's "Procession Of Healers," which feels like watching a troupe of performers whizz past as you remain static, rooted to the spot and entranced by their show. The beat is ever-changing—attempts at guessing the next twist or turn often prove futile. Over and over, Grotto turns away from the ruckus that it creates, as if shy about its show of emotions. Formed from an intense period of lockdown-enforced self-reflection, it's a peek into a familiar sense of turmoil and reconciliation, a pat on the back that says you're not alone in the wilderness.
  • Tracklist
      01. Opened Close 02. Fugitive's Flourish 03. Exorcism Of A Self-Help Book 04. Procession Of Healers 05. Closed Open
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