What a detailed story Thlostones is; drawing from classic soundscapes and inspiration that artists like Sean Deason, B12, and The Detroit Escalator Company ignited in the early days.
Brushed electronica and techno for the soul
Stefan Smith (a multi-talented composer, sound designer, and musician) revealed Thlostones in November of 2022—an inspiring soundtrack to times gone by—balanced with brushed electronica and techno for the soul; these are nine emotive slices of life captured as sonic Polaroids. Opener “Made In Japan” captures synthesizer swells and the spirit of ambient-techno shapes and forms, and yet it’s these tinier musical elements buried in the background that enlighten the senses. Subtle melodic strands drift and fall by the wayside.
Delicately woven electronics from what could be the mid-90s in full swing, “Among the Voices Voiceless” and the title track, feature trance-inducing techno soundtracks that ebb and flow into surreal sunsets. At nearby crossroads, “End” details melancholic atmospheres of softened blips and bleeps as “Pink Shadows” takes us right back into uplifting 808 State-inspired synth and technoid acrobatics with a fully-formed groove.
According to Stefan Smith’s own vision, his music is on “an infinite quest for purity, freed from any constraint of popularity, accessibility, and story-telling.” And what a detailed story Thlostones is; drawing from classic soundscapes and inspiration that artists like Sean Deason, B12, and The Detroit Escalator Company ignited in the early days of electronica submerged in four-to-the-floor beauty.
Thlostones is available on Sapiens. [Bandcamp]
