Island People manage to sustain a monumental trip, that tilts between anxiety inducing sweats to amassing bravery within the listener to continue along this archaic and meditative narrative.
The super-group everyone should get to know
In an arrangement that differs from these iconic styled get-togethers—unlike Probot, which sees Dave Grohl at the center inviting peers to join for recording sessions, or the anonymity umbrella project of Gescom, where speculation grows from drip feed comments of high ranking artists within said scene—the experience and accolades from Island People are based from their collective approach to audio.
As a four member group, consisting of mastering engineer Conor Dalton, Grammy award winning producer David Donaldson, musician and DJ Graeme Reedie and guitarist Ian MacLennan, with all bases covered, Island People return with the second release on Raster, titled II.
This ever transformative collection of tracks combines cerebral cinematic soundscapes and hall instrumentation that conjures images of desolate back-country spaces. You are often cold and alone in these eerie locations, only accompanied by your visible exhale that merges into the misty fog on the lake and the occasional harmonic drip that slides down your pulsating temple. Island People manage to sustain a monumental trip, that tilts between anxiety inducing sweats to amassing bravery within the listener to continue along this archaic and meditative narrative. It is an adventure, that soundtracks every step and breath throughout. Fear not, this is not a clinical display of sound design—each movement captures an emotion that feels sincere.
Cerebral cinematic soundscapes and hall instrumentation that conjures images of desolate back-country spaces.
Personal favorite “Loneliness Has A Purpose,” sees a frail moment as Island People allow the listener to take ownership of their courage, as they will soon be challenged by tracks like “Sirens,” and put to the final test in “Traffic.”
Whilst II does not posses elements of doom, those who are fans of the late Jóhann Jóhannsson’s work on OST “Mandy” will take pleasure in this enthralling experience.
Raster is a label based out of Chemnitz, Germany. Once part of the Raster-Noton collective, their first release post-separation in a change of sonic direction, was the self-titled debut from Island People in 2017.
II is available on Raster. [Bandcamp]
