FAH is on a prolific roll of high quality and dreamy flavored electronic beauty and his third album just this year alone, shows that some of the best (electro) flavors are indeed made at home.
A great album for the 808 connoisseur
FAH is on a prolific roll of high quality and dreamy flavored electronic beauty and his third album just this year alone, shows that some of the best (electro) flavors are indeed made at home.
Diffuse Reality boasts a fine catalog, over 100 releases of quality music and electro personality. For this entry they have on board Robin de Bekker aka FAH (FaHQ, The Patching Parlor, Fundamental, CPU, Diffuse Reality); a distinctively talented Dutch artist who has been releasing musical compositions that don’t follow trend or tradition for 20 years (give or take) without a break. Many have tried to categorize his music but truly it’s a reflection of what electronic music production should be. This has resulted in FAH creating several classic and innovative albums and EPs; and speaking of albums, this year in 2020 alone, he has released three.
FAH’s latest, Home M808—available physically from Diffuse Reality on CD—is a hardware produced album where the main tool is FAH’s custom self-built 808, along with the true synth magic to make this album quite a healthy plate, and timeless with no expiration date. He also invited some mighty fine friends along to remix a few songs—Mariska Neerman and quadraschultz, and all involved truly deliver the ace results.
A reflection on this imaginative listening session ::
“Wacky palm” opens the homemade 808 experience with an escape style ride through a vapor world of paradisaical melody, warm acid and clean ocean vibes. The chords are so cool in the melody they provide, with a windy persistence to their glide; colorful and funky leads intertwine the pixelated and acid-laced bassline, for a video game-like scene of lush beach destinations in your mind. The rhythm is also a fun time; somewhere in the future, shuffling freely, with dense snare layers, claps, rimshots, and other ear charming peel FX to get to the levels you may have not been yet. The bass never hesitates and is obese, sounds great. “Wacky palm” is a charismatic and varied plate, with a personality that just gets deeper in the melody layers as the experience solidifies its place as a strong keeper. Also very notable is the electro rhythm and alternative melody it morphs into smoothly around the 3-minute mark; pure paradise and shows how FAH is about pushing forward and surprise.
Deep electro vibes flow strong in the next FAH vision, “Sent to breaker.” The melody fuses melancholy and late night introspectivity; warm in delivery, with free floating leads, and an acid arpeggio that drives this track like a super motor, keeping the bpm at a confident yet not too fast speed—its a mental cruiser for the dreams indeed. Additional pads accentuate emotion at higher peaks as this track’s atmosphere of 3D effects sweeps and bleeps continue to take your mid-brain deep. The rhythm is a classic and crisp textured 808 ride with snare layers and 4/4 step in its stride; punchy in the bass it delivers in its kicks and also captures the ears with the perfect clicks. The overall feel in “Sent to breaker” is one of deep, atmospheric bliss; an intelligent listening experience that is hard to resist.
Intensity builds with expert pacing in the outer space flow of “Thoughtful Electro.” Ghostly arpeggios and silver highlighted strings create ear opening moments and ambient soul conversations with alien beings; additional crystal textured arpeggios also appear in the space of atmosphere, somewhere between mysterious and euphoric as they ride through at times, so smooth with the obese and stalking bassline. The atmosphere is well done in this track, and never gets tired; all aboard this tracks-hip and its psychedelic arpeggios and at times, surprising guitar chords. A rhythm of densely formed kicks create a minimal and driving rhythm perfect for building anticipation along with the track’s melody and effects foundation; everything about this track sparks imagination. “Thoughtful Electro” invites you into deep listen in cosmic space vibes that don’t let go.
Soulful and dreamy permeate the mind in the title track’s engaging time. The chords are heavy like auras—charming with watery flow—perfect for imaginative, early hour electro. The organ-like pads float in the atmosphere just right, playing out like luminous clouds at night; while candy coated leads, provide arpeggios of starry light. The bass in the 808 rhythm kicks is full of might, booming and causing your neighbors much fright, perhaps they may think an earthquake in sight, but it’s truly none other than the “Home M808” rattling the windows and dinner plates. Expect some fun double kick trouble, cool claps, 808 congas, and snare layers for that quintessential sharp snap. “Home M808,” is a tasty plate, full of the timeless flavor that keeps the deep listener coming back.
With a title like “Wombat weathervane,” one is right to assume this track has much in store for your body and brain; the blue hues in its charming melody might remind one of a day in the rain. The vibes are saturated with chord layers that gracefully share lanes, whilst acid basslines allow the texture to be free as they bounce off the synth auras like rubber boomerangs. The “Home M808” is on display with great taste, delivering a fast paced and shuffling rhythm of mighty kicks and obese snares, various 808 percussive layers, and clever clicks. And again, the boom is here that will move you and your furniture across the room, as this track surely hits. A trip into a world of melodramatic vapor bliss, and the power of 808 booms and kicks is exactly what you get with this; “Wombat weathervane” is spot on fun that doesn’t miss.
Ruby textured visions of 1-ups in pixelated paradise are what’s up when you put the track “Secret supplement” in your cup. The feeling is strong—atmospherically speaking—as fine glass arpeggio melody emits a charm that is seemingly always peaking. This also makes it a perfect second to last track for the cohesiveness of the album. The melody is beautiful, and at times epic, with colorful delight and warm pads that provide the feel of introspective nights. As track progresses, further modulations sketch the magic melody of the arpeggios deeper into your imagination; the atmosphere in “Secret supplement” is a true sensation. The rhythm here is exactly what the closed minds may fear, it has a nontraditional structure that goes outside the lines and the result is a confident 808 arrangement with powerful kicks and snares that leave no spares. Surely, “Secret supplement” will always be a winner, and essential nutrition for your abstract electro listening dinner.
The time has come for the emotive grooves you can feel when you’ve reached the final boss stage of the game, in “A better plane.” The vibes truly can take the listener to a better plane, in the way they expertly fuse dreamy, soulful, and space with the seasoned veteran’s taste. The result is a melody that rewards as watery arpeggios flow through cloudy bliss melodies of soul, and silky flutes grace with delicacy yet full control. Thick density describes the layers of kicks and snares, while their echo intertwines with crispy high-hats on the go. The rhythm is certainly abstract electro, or clever electronics; the perception can’t truly be described with just phonics, but the deep listener will be hooked on it. Excellent production on “A better plane”—a new dimension of deep electro for the body and brain.
The Remixes ::
quadraschultz goes for the b-boy breakers in this funky remix. It’s electro-funk in pure raw glory and made with the 808 staying true to the album’s theme. The funky chord stabs are electric and alien suave, while vocoders provide lines of harmonizing funk. Soulful pads arrive as the groove keeps elevating along with windy strings and whistles that appear with outer space charm. All the while, acid basslines take over machine funk style, saturating your mind. The rhythm in the quadraschultz remix is a classic raw electro rhythm of sharp kicks and snares, 808 cowbells, echos, delays, and bass for days. The frequency is excellent leaving a juicy feel to this acidic remix that shows off the artists’ bag of tricks. More than a remix—it’s full grown and uniquely its own, yet fits quite well in the colorful acid spa of this class album. The vocoder lines in this track are just pure mean and fun. “Sent to breaker’ remixed by quadraschultz delivers great results.
Mariska Neerman closes out this top class album in grand finale style with a charming and moving Detroit electro flavored remix. The rhythm packs a lot of appeal with cosmic chords that give the atmosphere a perfect storytelling feel. The scene is sci-fi with colorful arpeggio highs and tightly woven basslines taking to the heights of the mind. Chords persist to give the atmosphere a late night, cosmic, or aquatic bliss, at times even suspense. There’s certainly dynamic character in the synths and their breezy lush vibes. Laser like effects with mysterious 3D textures and magnetic string melodies also provide ear pleasure. For rhythmic endeavors, Mariska sets a driving pace with raw and minimal 808 kicks and snares heavy on the bass; this works well for the atmospheric taste, and it is the perfect foundation for the arpeggio bassline to confidently grace through the listening embrace. The energy only further peaks when snares become kick-drums to bring the classic 4/4 punchy electro heat. Timeless, flavorful in frequencies, and unique, Mariska’s Neerman’s remix is a real treat. A classic track for the early hours or any occasion calling for deep.
Concluding reflection ::
Home M808 is an essential piece of art in music to bring home. Each track including the remixes tells a story of its own yet all stay true and cohesive to the healthy soil from which this album is grown. The album is a beautiful electronic hybrid from the get go, smoothly intertwined between the lines of acid, dreamy ambient, and electro. This is also a great album for the 808 connoisseur as you’ll hear the machine in fine form here—clear, raw and pure with plenty of bass. Likewise, there’s plenty of charismatic synths for the eclectic taste. The remixers on board—quadraschultz and Mariska Neerman—help solidify FAH’s latest album even more as a dynamic and colorful electro leaning album that will provide an addictive listening experience to surely adore.
Home M808 is available on Diffuse Reality. [Bandcamp]
