2020k GIVEAWAY!

2020k has been hinting at and gearing up for a massive contest in affiliation with OTMblog.com for months and now it’s finally here! Following the Canadian Music Week giveaways in March, we’re celebrating our favorite artists and independent coverage with a second giveaway for readers and fans alike.

As a matter of fact, there are two great packages to give away!

THE GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
+A VINYL copy of Kin by Iamamiwhoami [Review]
+Rarities Collection Cassette by Lo-Fi by Default (Only 3 copies ever manufactured!)
+Now That’s What I Call Seapunk misprinted cassette artwork by Lo-Fi by Default
+Hand drawn Lo-Fi by Default artwork, drawn on blank cassette label
+KU PALM CD by Photek
+Shakkei Remixed CD by Origamibiro [Review]
+Freezing Thoughts Creates Stability CD by Wet Eyes [Infrasound]
+Air is Movement CD by Wet Eyes
+A limited edition art hand drawn art print by Wet Eyes
+Limited Edition first edition physical CD copy 2020k EP by 2020k [Info]

RUNNER UP PRIZE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
+KU PALM CD by Photek
+Ego by Benign & Roy Hessels [info]
+Air is Movement CD by Wet Eyes
+Freezing Thoughts Creates Stability CD by Wet Eyes
+Shakkei Remixed by Origamibiro
+Hectic Zeniths by Hectic Zeniths [info]
+2020k EP CD by 2020k

Rascals? I heard you scream. Photek fans? You’d sleep walk to win a copy of this CD, wouldn’t you? Independent music supporters, Vaporwave enthusiasts, and 2020k fans? As much as I’d want to hoard this all for myself, I’m giving it all away to two lucky winners! Hold on to your laptops and smart phones, CAUSE HERE’S HOW TO ENTER:

First way to win: You must follow 2020k on Facebook. This automatically enters you! After you’ve followed, any time an article is affiliated with the phrase “2020k Giveaway article!” like or share the article (this one included). For every like or share you’ll receive one additional entry.

Second way to win: Follow @Twenty20k on Twitter. Throughout the contest, there will be articles on Twitter with the hashtag #2020kgiveaway. After you’ve followed the Twenty20k account, any time you retweet an article with this respective hashtag, you’re entered to win. You can easily increase your chances of winning this way by retweeting multiple articles! (If you’re not following, your retweet will not be counted). You can start by RETWEETING THIS VERY ARTICLE WITH THE HASHTAG!

Third way to win: Send an email to cras.rkozain@gmail.com with the subject line “2020k Giveaway Entry!” and let us know your name and favorite artist involved with this giveaway. A few more lines wouldn’t hurt either. One entry per email allowed.

You’re able to enter in all three ways and encouraged to do so. Following the Twitter account also makes you eligible for some bonus prizes, including goodies from Garbage and Pearl Jam that will be given away specifically through Twitter during the contest’s duration! Oh, and Esthero, Res, and Doc McKinney fans? Haven’t forgot about you, there’s more goodies where this came from! Stay tuned and start entering!

Deadline for entries: May 5th, 2013

EDIT #1: The track listing for the Lo-Fi by Default rarities cassette has just been released. Remember, only three of these cassettes exist!

Side A
Barlow – In the Air
Armitage Hunks – Drinking with Ametuers
Chinese Radiation – Station
Armitage Hunks – Triple crown of suck
Crystal Surge – VHS is Killing Me
Kamas – Body Integration Loop

Side B
Starnoise – Intro
Kinesthetiac – Count Miny Candy
Jargun – Sick Of
Usmo- Sea Fog
Spoonty – Is There Anyone About

On the self-titled debut, the trio set out to create one of the most ambitiously sounding Electronic records to be released in 2013 so far. The rhythmic structures on the first proper opening song, “Cobalt Surge” intricately combines high impact power of a wide use of stereo imaging, with slow-flowing pads that double as synthesized leads. The use of the left and right stereo positioning is admirable while the muted drum and bass influence assaults from both sides, in slight variations, but ultimately reach an end goal that creates a unified monster from the sum of all of it’s parts. The build up of this track is natural, the breakdowns are easily worked into one another, and the final piano sounds that end the track demonstrate the final, delicate surge of power before the track’s end.

“Helicons” beings distinctly Boards of Canada-esque, with background static sound effects taking over the stereo imaging while warbling, humanized synthesizers lament in and out of tune with one another. It’s an emotional beginning that unfortunately doesn’t see too much of an expansion, as it’s powered down before the minute mark hits. However, the impact of the main segment of the song allows inkings of it to be placed underneath the mix, while later, coming back into focus as solider like drum machine sounds religiously beat. These rhythmic sections beat full of tension for the most part, but at times, a synth-bass line works its way into the song, creating a hopeful and almost pop sonic spectrum for a moment.

“Miami III” plays as a nice extended opener for the track after it, the largely reverberated sounding “Phonovision”. Several instrumental bits are established in the middle of the track which bring all of the layers together inside of this vision, but it’s the two minute and a half songs afterward “DPDTV” and “Sycophant” that come together beautifully to play brother and sister to one another. When “DPDTV” travels like the inside head of a television, then drops off, “Sycophant” is there to catch up with eerily focused melodic lines that delay and beautifully reverberate as they’re worked into the final mix of the track. The two songs are simplified in layers, but beautiful, even working in an underlying  muffled sample that is distinctly reminiscent of ”U-1″ by Iamamiwhoami.

“The Trees, They’re Malfunctioning” brings together a more experimental and atmospheric vibe to the song, at times creating noise so dense that it’s hard not to envision a machine actually causing nature itself to tear down. The drums cause a heightened, militant sense of drive as they march and distort in the background amongst the noise. This metamorphosis exists and continues to build, most notably the last minute of the track in which samples, swells, reverberation, and synths build together, rising and rising to a summit until it ultimately drops off without warning. It’s Simulate Televangelist’s most sharpening moment, becoming an industrial warfare and causing a sonic hell that’s ironically bearable to live inside.

The final track in the short feature of this collective gathering is “λmphetamine”. It’s euphoria and interweaving of countless tracks and home video snippets are almost heartbreakingly emotional against a repetitive rhythmic section. In fact, “λmphetamine” holds a sort of undemanding control that warmly wraps itself around the rest of the record, causing its sense of direction to be fully realized. Starting out experimental, the song eventually finds its drive and direction with a kick drum heavy beat. By the time it drops off, the ambience is fully recognized and layers of instrumentation and field recordings that weren’t as present come into full focus. It’s an educated song, just as Simulate Televangelist holds itself as a sophisticated concept throughout it’s entire play.

It’s a no-brainer that these three would create something stunning. Kinesthetiac has been featured on our Top Songs of 20xx list twice in a row, while Kamas earned the number three spot list year. Powernap’s wonderful mixing skill and knack for ambience shows itself well, and by the album’s end it’s nice to hear three independent musicians coming together to make a record very cohesive, as opposed to fighting to be heard over one another.

Bravo, Simulate Televangelist.

Download Simulate Televangelist For Free @ Bandcamp

Click here to download the project.
Wet Eyes Productions also has a download here.

It’s finally here, guys. After working on this project with a circle of close friends and colleagues, I’m exceedingly overjoyed to be able to present to you the “Contagion” Single EP.

Three artists that I’ve reported on and built friendships with have contributed to this extended play. Kinesthetiac, Wet Eyes, and Kamas (also known under his alternate, vaporwave Nyetscape alias) crafted some out of this world remixes that vary from different spectrums of the progressive and experimental continents.

As I received these mixes into my inbox, I felt inspired to take on my own re-working of “Contagion” and out of it “Infection/Placebo” was born. I worked with the same stems that I gave to the musicians in the aforementioned paragraph and crafted an alternate look, a deeper look into what this song is about.

“Contagion” was written, produced, and engineered by myself in the summer of 2012. I had just been booked for some live shows and was increasingly becoming engulfed by anxiety. This song was my way of dealing with it. It was my way of overcoming it, finding my way out of it. “Infection” explores the deeper parts of tension – the ones that you seemingly almost cannot control, and “Placebo” is an example of the opposite.

The project was funded on the hearts of those who contributed and as a result is being given away as a free download through distribution on the Wet Eyes Productions’ Bandcamp. Whether or not there will be a limited physical release is to be determined by general demand, your downloads, your feedback, and the currency I have available in the future to fund it. Please, feel free to download the single or the EP and to share the link and music as you wish.

If you feel inclined give back, to contribute to future artistic endeavors and support the launch point for 2020k as a musical project, then please download the 2020k EP on Bandcamp. You can click here for that. The funds will be transferred directly to me at this point, not a label, so that I can continue to put forth all of the effort and strength needed to carry out prospective things. Not only is the original version of “Contagion” on it, but there are three additional songs that were recorded throughout 2011 and 2012. Songs that are emotional to me, songs that I hope resonate with you.

The thank you list…

I’d like to give a special thank you to the artists who created their versions of this song, and a huge thank you to Ross Auger for the help and opportunity to release this under Wet Eyes Productions. Thank you to my brother, Jacob Kozain, for braving the cold and taking the cover photo, to Devan Monroe for his input, and to Natalie Zigarovich for putting together the final cover. Also, to Johnny Daggers for his work on the debut music video so far.

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who has supported 2020k so far, who has come to the live shows, and specifically to Kristen Adams, Ashley Weinman, and Eldora Lynn. You three were the first to hear “Contagion” and in pure, anxiety ridden form I was nervous for your opinions. Thank you for always being there – without you, and without everyone else – there wouldn’t be “Contagion”

Thank you & enjoy.

x
RJ

Credits: Contagion written, recorded, engineered, produced, mixed: RJ Kozain aka 2020k | Infected/Placebo by RJ Kozain | All additional production and parts for Kinesthetiac Remix: Jared VanMatre | All additional production and parts for Wet Eye Remix: Ross Auger | All additional production and parts for Kamas Remix 1 &2: Christopher Kamas | Mastering: Ross Auger | Art Direction: RJ Kozain | Photograph: Jacob Kozain | Final Cover: Natalie Zigarovich | http://www.twenty20k.com

Hannah Georgas “Enemies (2020k Remix)”
Part of getting the extreme creative juices flowing for me is interpreting someone else’s work through manipulation of their original intention. Just as I was about to cancel my Indaba account, I received a tweet from Amber over at OTMBlog who nudged me to put together a remix for “Enemies” by Hannah Georgas. The very first lines instantly grasped me and and I decided to extend my stay at the competitive website so I could, at the very least, reconstruct an admirable song. We’re in a sea full of sharks just swimming around and around..if we get caught, they’re gonna taste our blood.

Since I greatly enjoyed the vocal content and delivery, I decided that it’d be great to create metaphoric waves of vocals. After a few hours of sifting through the background vocals stem, I found a section of harmonies that could be pitch shifted, time stretched, and used to satisfaction in creating this underlying vocal wave, which doubles as a pad, and is used through the entirety of the 2020k Remix.

Beyond the vocals and chorus guitar lines, all other compositional structures were dreamt up and thrown into the mix myself through Logic Pro and mixed down in Pro Tools. My personal favorite part of mixing comes in the first verse, wherein a gunshot sample from my sample library was incorporated into the song for dramatic effect, and rhythmic surprise. Playing around with the static reverb plugins Pro Tools had to offer was actually really fun for this particular channel in the track. Some waves and AIR effects are used in the song as well.

All in all, my only hope is that you enjoy the song and it resonates with you the way it impacted me during it’s creation. Right now, you can stream it over at Indaba. If you feel so compelled, you can cast a vote using your Facebook profile as well.

Click here to listen to “Enemies (2020k Remix)” 

UPDATE: Contest ended. No cigar, but some nice words from everyone who has listened! The 2020k Remix is now available for free download at Soundcloud. Click here for it!

2020k “Contagion EP”
The photo in this article was taken in a cemetery with my brother, Jake, who was kind enough to assist me on a photoshoot for the cover of the Contagion EP, which will be released under the Wet Eyes Productions stamp on Bandcamp and features remixes by Wet Eyes, Kamas, and Kinesthetiac. There’s also a new track and mix of the song done by myself that will be included.

Right now, the project is currently being mastered. Updates and further information on the release of this EP will be announced through Twenty20k.com, the Bandcamp, and elsewhere.

-2020k

Wow, guys. This year was insane and I don’t know how to put it into words much. But, I’m going to try. First and foremost, the album I’ve listened to and appreciated the most this year is Bloom by Beach House. Everything from the album packaging, to the songwriting/composition and production, to the engineering and overall presentation of the art for this record is absolutely phenomenal. It’s being named 2020k’s album of the year so pick up a physical copy, please. It’s stunning and impossible to be disappointed by!

1. The 2020k Facebook page hit 100 fans in April (to which I celebrated by giving away a few iTunes gift cards) and more recently the page has hit the 200 mark. Thank you. I wouldn’t be blogging if it weren’t for the support that’s been given to me from the readers. When the Facebook page hits another number, there will be another giveaway. The number is predictably secret.

2. Some of those likes came as a result of my music. This year was outrageous for me. I played two wonderful shows in Pittsburgh, PA that was met with a surprisingly warm response each time. In fact, the crowd at the second show was basically demanding an encore! I would’ve gladly given it to you, but time constraints with the venue prohibited it. My apologies for those who came out to that event..the show was cut short. But, if the opportunity to play again arises, then you’ll all be the first to know.

3. As a result of the show, I was able to release two music videos. One for “Slightest Touch (2020k Remix)” in which I used stock footage from a public domain film called Sex Madness and “Transends” by Kinesthetiac from his record Fields of Thought. Are you ready for a little announcement? The video for “Contagion” is being released in late winter or early spring. Daggervision Films has officially hopped on board for direction and production of the video and we’re going to start filming and editing extremely soon.

4. I also released a taste of my own studio work through Bandcamp. The 2020k EP was reviewed by OTMBlog, featured on Daggervision Films Horror Talk Radio, Noise Cave, The Electro Blog, and Klubbace (where they cutely called it cozy ambient electronica!) Two wonderful interviews were held with OTMBlog and Ross Auger in promotion for the project as well.

5. Speaking of Ross, I got to interview him too (mainly about his Wet Eyes releases) as part of a double sided interview project. Along with him, I spoke to and held giveaways with Origamibiro and Esthero. My favorite giveaway though was the Iamamiwhoami kin giveaway. All of the responses were wonderful and as someone who looks at what they’ve accomplished in two years in awe, it was great to see you all on such an in depth page.

6. So what’s next? Well, aside from a new website I just launched for 2020k and the above announcement  ”Contagion” video, there will be a Remix EP released for the song as well. Wet Eyes, Kinesthetiac, and Kamas have hopped on board for reinterpretations of the songs and will be released in late winter. There’s also a more polished version of the track that will be included, as well as a new take on the concept of the song.

After that? Hopefully a lot more. I’ll be making the move to Los Angeles with some friends in the summer in continuation of music and the audio industry. There’s been a few entries on this blog where I’ve been quite sad at the lack of opportunity in the Pittsburgh area so I am ready to assault California with all I have to offer. Ilia Darlin has already promised me a scrumptious cupcake! It’s all gearing up to be a fresh & great start and I hope to have a lot to blog about along the way!

Once again, thank you. Thank you is not enough. Happy New Year.

As stated previously, each song has a brief description and a listening link. If I wrote something about them this year, the number associated with the song will be clickable.

An asterisk represents an artist that will be featured on an upcoming 2020k single release (early 2013). 

Enjoy and leave your thoughts below or give a shout over at Facebook or my Twitter profile with your comments and favorites. Click here to see songs 40-21.

2020k’s Top 40 Songs of 2012. Part One – Songs 20 through 1

20. Ilia Darlin – Hit Me - Greek pop artist and major label signed Ilia Darlin has become a critically acclaimed success around the blogosphere and if “Hit Me” is any indication on what she can do, we’re all ears. Crafted by Darlin herself, alongside Sunny Berhane, Djahmyne Stewart, Billy Mann, David Schuler, and Tonie Nielson, the January released buzz single is a straightforward, honest, and triumphant anthem that has nothing to lose. [Vimeo]

19. Santigold – Disparate Youth - One of the most fiercely crafted rhythmic sections in a long time lies within “Disparate Youth” by Santigold. In fact, the song carries along some of the most substantial compositional and lyrical content we’ve seen this year. The singer’s delivery sounds drone-like in the best way possible, holding an emotional delivery while beat changes subtly around the track and bounces through hip-hop, pop, and guitar tinged firestorms. [Youtube]

18. Boreal Network – Scream Blue Vein - Something infrasound artist Boreal Network has always been good at doing is creating lo-fi Electronic music that’s surrounded and pounding with dark underlings and creating a throw back nostalgic vibe that recalls the sounds of the 1980′s and before. Fitting right into her discography is “Scream Blue Vein,” which is a one-off release while the follow up album is prepared for 2013. Last year, we praised Means Business (see our review here) and we’re more than ready for the next round of Network’d sounds. [Bandcamp]

17. Kanye West – Mercy (Featuring Big Sean, Pusha T, & 2 Chainz) – There are only a handful of artists keeping Rap & Hip-Hop alive and Kanye West is one man who has yet to let the genre down. A notable Fuzzy Jones vocal sample opens “Mercy” and interpolates itself into being one of the most frantic and unique sections of the track. Heavy kick and bass provide the backdrop for pads, rhythmic and melody samples to flourish while West and the featured artists cipher relentlessly. “Most rappers taste level ain’t at my waste level. Turn up the bass ’till it’s up in your face level” becomes the epitome of the track as it unfolds to be the perfect follow up to last year’s bombastic “Niggas In Paris” and demonstrates yet another notch in Kanye West’s forever progressive catalog of music. [Youtube]

16. Deadmau5 – Telemiscommunications (Featuring Imogen Heap) – The glitch inspired “Telemiscommunications” is a step in the right direction for both artists. As if they weren’t flawless enough, Joel Zimmerman paves the most minimal and delicate offering on his recently released >Album Title Here< alongside do-it-all musician Imogen Heap. At the climax, Heap asks “Did I tell you I loved you today?” and we’d like to let both artists know that this song says enough. It’s a complete throwback to the Imogen & Guy Sigworth collaboration project Frou Frou and since Details is arguably one of the best Electronic Pop albums to be released in the last decade (yes, Details turned 10 this year) we’re all for this technology inspired, ambient-esque and piano based lament. [Youtube]

15. Wet Eyes – The Let Go (Featuring Cecelia Erholtz) - Ross Auger, better known under the alias Wet Eye is one of the more versatile musicians to make himself known on the independent scene. After an Infrasound article and artist on artist interview with him, it’s the un-quantized percussion, the warm bass, and beautifully reverberated and delayed guitars that cause “The Let Go” to kick off the top 15 of this years list. Everything is wonderfully layered and carved out in the mix, but distinctly indistinct and a vastly textured incorporation of evolving sounds. [Vimeo]*

14. Perfect Sound Forever – Blue Sunshine – The One On Twoism series has been buzzing about as a means for fans of the chilled out, alternative Electronic music scene to come together and create compilation discs inspired by the community Warp Records artists Boards of Canada have pulled together. “Blue Sunshine” is the first full track on the fifth installation of the compilation series and singlehandedly puts together flowing pad textures and low snare/hi-hit stereo image. With relaxation vocal samples and a rumbling kick/bass line, Perfect Sound Forever lives up to his moniker in the best way possible through this track. “Close your eyes, breathe deeply, relax completely”. [Twoism.org]

13. Lana Del Rey – Ride - It’s quite a proclamation to combine American nostalgia with 21st century swagger and the line “I’m tired of feeling like I’m fucking crazy,” but that’s exactly the combination of sparks that make Lana Del Rey the perfect national anthem. Although the dynamic range on the Rick Rubin produced “Ride” is a bit squashed, it’s still a wonderful lament of insanity and flawless song composition that takes you on a journey, rather than a ride. [YouTube]

12. Kinesthetiac – Mind Castles - Infrasound artist, 2020k collaborator, and the most talented under eighteen artist in the Electronic music community unleashed two wonderful albums this year, but it was “Mind Castles” off Fields of Thought that sealed the deal. It’s electrifying in its song structure and unique composition. Once the middle, chill out portion of the song unfolds, it’s a serious and hard look into the luxurious castle of a mind that is musician Jared VanMartre’s. [Youtube]*

11. Flamingo Pudding – Cardboard - The unknown downtempo brilliance of the year undoubtedly belongs to Flamingo Pudding’s “Cardboard”. It’s straightforward production, ironic lyrics, and catlike calls hold together a track that laments being attacked by a cardboard shark. This track was released on Flamingo Pudding and the Gravis Reazm and the European based artist’s first release to be featured on iTunes & Spotify, And the Zeta Blaster. We highly recommend the more gritty version of the track on the Gravis version and then make your way over to iTunes for underground/unsigned artist support! [Dropbox]

10. Passion Pit – Take A Walk – Passion Pit makes some of the most densely layered, lovely and bouncy Electronic music on the scene. In fact, Michael Angelakos has admitted to producing songs until he has no room to add more voices in his Digital-Audio-Workspace of choice. While celebratory on the surface, the majority of Passion Pit songs drive themselves into a dark place and “Take A Walk” is no exception. Relationship and unstable financial situations work themselves into the lyrics of this lead single from Gossamer and its marching beat and driving chorus are the only things holding the song from a complete honest despair. Instead, showing pure beauty in the breakdown. We highly recommend taking a look at OTM Blog’s review of the record. [Youtube]

09. Solange – Losing You - The True EP was released digitally in 2012 and will be out physically in 2013 (we’ll review the project pending a lossless copy) and it’s the lead single off the project, “Losing You” that’s held our attention since its November release. It’s African shot video is something to take a look at and the 80′s inspired synthesizer lead, complete with warm bass is enough for the repeat button to be hit in infinite fashion. Solange laments through one of the most forward based breakup songs in R&B infused music this year with up front lines such as “I’m not the one that you should be making your enemy. Tell me the truth, boy, am I losing you for good?” [Youtube]

08. Metameta – Color Pattern – This guitar based, Electronic-tinged, and overall rock influenced Yonderosa project has held our focus all year long. Unfortunately, due to a backlog of articles the 2020k blog has acquired it’s not been reported yet, but Metameta is one of the best projects to release an underground project recently. The first track off the mid-2012 release, “Color Pattern” has our undivided attention as grueling guitars demand the forefront of a mix while brainchild Evan Miles Anderson lets us know in folk-influenced fashion that he gets this way every so often. [Bandcamp]

07. Beach House – Myth - From the use of lo-fi percussive instrumentation to express rhythmic structure and reverberated, harmonizing guitar layers, Beach House crafted quite the record with Bloom. “Help me to name it..” Victoria unforgettably cries out on the “Myth” chorus and states “if you built yourself a myth, you’d know just what to give. What comes after this..momentary bliss. The consequence of what you do to me.” It’s a story of melancholy, but told in the most dream-pop based, well produced records of the year. [Youtube]

06. Iamamiwhoami – Idle Talk - 2020k reviewed each track from Iamamiwhoami’s kin in extreme depth. Taken from the review of “Idle Talk”: The synthesizer work is exquisite on “Idle Talk” – specifically one of the main bits of instrumentation that glides downward to create what sounds like a defeated melody that emotionally assaults the listener and battles within itself to continue the notes it’s meant to perform. Lyrically, the song actually sounds like it could fit in with Jonna Lee‘s solo projects from before the Electronic music took off. It’s heartfelt and poetic, honest without metaphors to be discussed upon hours. [Youtube]

05. Burial – Kindred - The entire Kindred EP by Burial is jaw dropping. It’s drawn out, late night alternative dance music that pounds the listeners ear with moments that teeter between beauty, drive, anxiety, and delicate features. The project is composed with changes and layers that rival classical music sophistication with Electronic emotion and the title track guides the listener through several movements that each sound completely different, derive from one another, and create landscapes that weave themselves in and out of each other with precise cohesion. “Kindred” is one of Burial’s greatest accomplishments throughout his on-growing catalog of music. [Youtube]

04. Esthero – Everything Is Expensive – 2020k has flooded its website with Esthero information over the last couple of months and its because her latest record is tearjerking and empowering. It’s catchy and smart. It’s intelligent and emotionally moving. Every single soul involved in the making of Everything Is Expensive deserves a pat on the back and an abundant worth of opportunities. The audio work, musicianship, songwriting, compositional craft, and dedication to this project truly shine and the title track to the album is everything you could ask for and more from Jenny-Bea Englishmen. It was all worth the wait. This life may have gotten pricy, but this album and this are both 100% priceless. [Pledgemusic]

03. Kamas – Child – Christopher Kamas released Cerulean through Bandcamp earlier this year and quickly became a mildly celebrated release throughout fans of the project. Its ambient, warped analog feel recalls the best of alternate Electronic music and “Child” quite possibly embodies one of the finest short musical pieces on the album. Following an eight minute track (which is quite epic in itself), “Child” fades in using a slowly oscillating synthesized instrument and interpolates sampled vinyl scratches and trip-hop-esque rhythmic aspects. A warm, overpowering bass compliments the tripped out atmosphere and by the time the purposefully distorted, stereo oriented and main melody line works itself into the mix, goosebumps and emotional outlets will pour.* [Bandcamp]

02. Fiona Apple – Every Single Night - It’s a no-brainer that life can sometimes be considered a Fiona Apple song. Every single track in her small, sprawled out discography contains a hard, shockingly virtuous outlook on the songwriter’s current endeavors. Her pen to paper, voice to microphone brutality is impossible to be ignored and is explored on “Every Single Night” from The Idler Wheel… Every single night’s a fight with her brain and it’s known through fragile moments incorporated with warrior-like call outs. It’s minimal, but it’s strong and a daring, experimentally intimate look into the sparse sonics of this release. “I just want to feel everything” Apple proclaims. She does and we sure as hell do as well. [Youtube]

01. Grimes – Oblivion - Sometimes, artists change the way you look at things. Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes does this. She’ll complete a song in a day, she’ll use extensive looping skills, become a one woman band on stage, and craft projects that incorporate standard techniques and use them in wildly creative ways. Visions isn’t the most layered album, it isn’t he most pristinely produced but it’s what adds to the charm and makes it one of this years best releases and a career catalyst for the artist. “Oblivion” fought with “Genesis” but eventually won out in the end for this year’s top spot in the 2020k Top 40 Songs of 2012 because of its pop accessibility, mixed with Electronic motives and clear sonic approach that’s expressed within the mix, and presented emotionally. Plus, it’s difficult to pass up a song which states “cause when you’re running by yourself it’s hard to find someone to hold your hand” and “I need someone now. To look into my eyes and tell me girl you know you gotta watch your health. To look into my eyes and tell me..la la la la la.”

We won’t see Grimes on a dark night, we’ll see her and all those sexy boys in her video on all the nights.

We first wrote about Kinesthetiac in April of 2012 when he released his record Fields of Thought a few months prior (review). It was a stunning collection of Electronic tracks by a young fourteen year old Indiana native named Jared VanMarte. In fact, as an artist, I decided to incorporate one of the songs from the record “Transends” into my live shows (read more) and even edited together a video for the song (YouTube).

As a follow up to this well crafted release, we received a four track EP Cout Miny Candy and now, at fifteen and in the same year as the aforementioned releases, we have a second full length album, this one titled Is It A Kind Of A Dream.

From the start of the record, it’s smart nostalgia trickles in on “Peripheral (Introduction)” with manipulated audio snippets seemingly taken from the snapshots within his own life. “Hello, Jared. Happy Birthday” repeats one individual twice amongst a pad with a slightly delayed attack in its envelope. It’s main melody swells through its stereo width before extremely live sounding percussion samples create their climax. At just under a minute, the introductory track creates the tone of the album quite elegantly.

Is It A Kind Of A Dream segues into the album’s second track ”Gateway,” through the laugh of children, before various reverberated and programmed synthesized pads make their way into the main mix. What makes this track one of the standout moments of the entire record is the stutter effect created through the song’s entirety. It never lets up, weaving in and out of the mix quickly, giving way toward a sort of futuristic style that recalls Electronica at its finest. Various panned elements help guide “Gateway” through what feels like a tunnel vision through a Ghostly International fans haven, particularly a breakdown which comes midway through the song, that contains a realm of space perfected by Tycho, amongst other Electronic contemporaries. A synth bass and subtle bass drop also appear through this track quite frequently, smoothing over a bottom end for the mid-kick, hi-hat, and snare to thrive with. Overall, it’s melodic perfection and a force to be reckon with in Kinesthetiac’s furiously growing discography.

“Bless to Go” contains subtle, coy hip-hop influences with a signature “yo” on the 2 & 4 while a later song entitled “Cling” throws itself into an ambient, piano based melody that recalled VanMarte’s previous full release. The majority of the tracks on this follow up are shorter songs, but lovely vignettes at that.

Throughout this release, there’s a collection of short tracks called “Memory Stimulation” that take themselves through experimental elements and unconventional placement of sounds and soundscapes. Nirvana’s “Something In The Way” makes their way into the first part of the trilogy, while jazz music works its way in and out the second, leaving the third and final aspect of these related tracks being a more straightforward ambient approach , leading into a more stripped down, minimal electro-pop inspired track called “26.”

“Not Feeling Like You Used To” contains various panned vocal elements that are the closest this record comes to a Boards of Canada feel, but it’s rhythmic melody that is panned to the left channel of the mix gives the song interesting throwback appeal, and once it all comes together, you feel the build up of the track. Build ups and breakdowns also seem to be an ongoing theme through this dreamscape of a record. It’s nice to hear the prog element coming out a bit more through these collections of tracks. While the songs are short, they do seem to all evolve quite a bit!

It Is A Kind Of A Dream ravishes through a brighter mixing technique than what we’re compared to hearing from the EDM community as of lately. In a world where low frequency bass and kick drum mixing and mastering seem to take over the full frequency range in a lot of mainstream releases in the passed few years, Kinesthetiac maintains a balance of being progressively melodic, without relying too much on simple four to the floor rhythmic patterns to fall back on. It’s a bit hard to understand, sonically, at first, but is more intelligent after a few listens in regards to what is being accomplished in the technical terms of the record.

“Arrows (Ending)” contains no percussion. It’s fragile, almost broken and contains elements of heartbreak. The end fade is reminiscent on something you’d hear on Moby’s Hotel Ambient record, though refreshing and unpredictable. Emotion pours throughout it, but still comes across as letting the listener wander if this is reality or if this is all a kind of a dream..

Three releases in under a year is a feat in of itself, but to keep releasing gold? Kinesthetiac is one strong, driven force and one to keep looking out for.

Album Rating: 3/5

Download Is It A Kind Of A Dream for FREE via Kinesthetiac’s Soundcloud

Preface & Planning

The last three months have been a whirlwind. Blog posts should return to a normal pace for now. The explanation is explained below.

After being contacted via the 2020k Soundcloud page by Afton Live in regards to doing a few live shows in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, it was a possibility too grand to hesitate on and one that was taken with not even an hour’s worth of contemplation.

The first show was scheduled for July 12th, 2012 which gave me 48 days to round up thirty minutes of material from my catalog that would be re-worked, re-mixed, and presented live in front of an audience. Though fun, the majority of the work was done on my own so the process was grueling at times. In fact, could be interpreted as a combination of some of the most introverted and stressful, but focused and creative moments of my life.

To start, the actual highs of putting together the show started when I was able to explore different creative territory not taken in past endeavors. An MPD-18 MIDI Controller was purchased as a means to incorporate a live feel for myself in the studio and on stage. Three music videos were produced using public domain/stock footage from Archive.org (you can see two them on my YouTube page: here and here.). Interestingly enough, rigging up Ableton Live to communicate with the MIDI controller, M-Audio eKeys, and M-Audio Xponent Digital Turntables using Propellerhead Re-wire and really getting into the programming, as well as the editing process of the videos were some of the most rewarding parts of the time taken to prep the show.

The lows? Time constraint. 48 days to revamp everything and put all of the new content together is a lot of work, especially when 48 hours a week are dedicated to a customer service day job. Imagine putting together what you read in the aforementioned paragraph, then compose three new songs on top of that in the same time frame. Yes, you read that right. Three new songs were written, composed, engineered, and produced from scratch via Logic Pro in just a little over the month, then mixed in Pro Tools, in combination with the technical aspects of show time. “Contagion,” “Pantomime,” and a take on Blink-182′s ”Adam’s Song” were all dreamt and put together specifically to present to a live audience.

The creativity was a curse at times, but such a pleasant and accomplishing feeling to have the ability to generate so much of myself into all of these projects.

The First Show

Intriguingly enough, though there were complications with the presentation of the visuals (which were shown on stage via a large laptop monitor, as opposed to an old 32″ Television – the original intention) the first show went off without a hitch and was met with an extremely warm crowd response. There were claps, yells, a few new fans singing along, and a level of appreciation felt on stage cannot be expressed.

In fact, speaking from a purely emotional standpoint, performing on stage on July 12th and feeling the interaction from artist to fan was one of the most rewarding and liberating aspects of life that has been experienced by myself, period.

Then it was over, and out of the 50 physical EPs that were freely distributed at the show (30 out of the 50 came with limited edition free stickers), over half of them were snatched up by audience members and several individuals came up to me after the show to inquire on how to get a copy of the disc. Artists Shutterdown and Allen Time, who I shared the stage with that night, were also extremely welcoming, with Shutterdown offering to possibly have me open shows on some of their future tour dates if the opportunity should rise.

Afton Shows sent an email exactly one week after the first show to inquire about doing a second set at the same venue. This time, the setlist would be 40 minutes, as opposed to 30. Statistics were built upon surveying the general interest of another set and was asked among my personal Facebook page, with a bunch of likes and text messages that would follow and enthusiastically ask when the show would be. My reply a few days later was set in stone: August 19th, 2012.

The Second Show/Music Business

The August show was an interesting show because myself and another Electronic artist were booked for a Rap show. We were the last two acts to go on and because of it, suffered time constraints which caused the 2020k set to be cut six minutes short (I’m unsure about the other artist).

Beforehand, Afton did not answer any of my e-mails about what time my set was so that I could inform the friends and fans who were coming. Six emails were sent out. Six. This was the moment when I felt a function of the marketing and promotion of my show going a bit haywire and to make matters worse, there was nothing I could do about it.

The thing about first starting out as a musician is that you have fans, but the majority of the individuals who come out to see your set list are your friends. So, of course, your friends like to know things like your set time and a bit of what you’re up to on the day of the show. With the July show, everything was organized. I kept the Facebook event page up to date, Tweets, Instagrams, and of course, personal messages. Afton also kept in contact with me for the first show because of the amount of people who were coming to support me as an act, so my set time was told to me days in advance to the appreciation of those individuals attending the show.

Going into the second show and given the information in the aforementioned paragraphs, it was suspected that given the show was on a Sunday and was scheduled not even a month after the first one, the public support for the 2020k portion of the show would be a bit slimmer than the first show. And it was true. Nearly 30 people bought tickets to the debut live performance of my material, and the number dipped slightly, not drastically, for the second night. As an unsigned artist, just beginning touring, it’s an expectation. This is not Afton’s fault.

A quick Google on Afton will take you to their official website, some decent reviews about them, and a lot of skepticism and downright vulturous, negative reviews. My opinion? From a business standpoint, it’s not a bad option to take as a starting musician and is ultimately what you make of it. The reason I decided it was a good bet to take the shows with this particular booking agency was because I knew that there was enough demand for people and fans elsewhere to see what I do represented in a live form. Would this sort of show work for five or six nights? No. With a bit of word of mouth and promotional spread? Probably. This is why when Afton offered me a third show in September, I turned it down until further business explorations could be explored.

That’s not to say there won’t be any more live 2020k sets. There will be. Using Afton was a platform for a learning experience for the good and the bad of live performance and the knowledge gained from playing Rex Theater the past two months has a profound impact on the direction of a lot of future business and artistic decisions.

Live shows or venues where there is already a small draw of people to feed off of would be appealing, currently. Also, $12 online ticket price and $13 door price is currently a bit high to keep charging the small amount of supporters that I cherish so much. Free shows or a lower cover? Definitely ideal.

These are just some of the options I’m exploring.

Aftermath, Thank you – Digital Release of Debut EP

For now? A huge thank you to the individuals who helped put the show together, the people who came to the shows, the ones who staffed the events, and the supporters who were unable to make it (especially to Gary Clark). With great pleasure, there’s a presentation in the form of a feature and an interview with me on this entire process over at Open ‘Til Midnight’s blog, which is operated and ran by Amber Waves. It is with this thanks that I’m proud to be releasing an EP demo of four songs that were played during the live shows. This EP was handed out for free physically, so, on Bandcamp, where it is released, it is available to all of you for a name your own price scale. It’s available now!

As stated on the Bandcamp page: “Any funds contributed from the release of this record are warmly welcome with an abundance of gratitude. Though not necessary, any support, emotional or financial, will fuel future artistic communications, endeavors, and releases.”

You can stream, download, and purchase 2020k – 2020k EP in a plethora of formats at Bandcamp.com via clicking here!

Also, there are a few physical copies of the EP left. If you’d like, shoot me an email, tweet, or comment below with your email address and if one is still available, I’ll ship one to you.

Thank you.

July 12th, 2012 Setlist – Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
01. Intro/Contagion
02. Adam’s Song (Blink-182 Cover)
03. Kinesthetiac – “Transends”
04. Roy Hessels – “Slightest Touch (2020k Mix)”
05. Lost (No Direction)
06. Pantomime
07. Closed Cases/Outro
FULL STREAM OF FIRST SHOW: Youtube Link
FULL STREAM OF FIRST SHOW ANGLE 2: Youtube Link

August 19th, 2012 Setlist – Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
01. Intro/Contagion
02. Adam’s Song
03. Kinesthetiac – “Transends”
04. Roy Hessels – “Slightest Touch (2020k Mix)”
05. Britney Spears Vs Trent Reznor – Piece Of Me (Ambient Mix)
06. Lost (No Direction)/Outro
Show cut short by venue due to various set timing issues.
FULL STREAM OF SECOND SHOW: Youtube Link

2020k – 2020k EP
01. Contagion
02. Pantomime
03. Closed Cases
04. Roy Hessels – Slightest Touch (2020k Mix)
DOWNLOAD/PURCHASE 2020k EP: Bandcamp Link

Special Thank you: Jared VanMarte aka Kinesthetiac, Roy Hessels, Natalie Zigarovich, Danielle Sethman, Amber Waves, Aneesh Ratan, Kristen Adams, Lauren Karell, Ashley Weinman, Adam Burns, Josh Bruener, Amanda Conary, Devan Monroe, Afton Shows, my family, and especially to you. Photo credits in this article: Kristen Adams, Scott Allen Stafford.

Oh, hello there! Did you hear Beach House has a new record out? It’s true. I’m listening to Bloom right now and it’s quite good. However, this little blip is an informational quickie to inform all you awesome Other People that I will be On The Sea, heading to the actual beach for the first time in my life this week! So, I will be taking a break from spreading news to the world about the latest musical happenings.

Who knew that the week I would be going on vacation that the music world would prepare to blow up and release a whole bunch of stuff?! Not Me. So, I’ve compiled a little list of things I will miss while being away and things I will miss.

Things I Will Miss While Being Away

1.) Our bi-weekly mystery game Nancy Drew, best known as Iamamiwhoami will release their eighth installment of Kin called “Kill”. Of course, you’ll be able to watch the video on Tuesday here, purchase it on iTunes on Wednesday, and read ForsakenOrder’s beautiful video analysis of it as well. It’s already leaked..but hopefully you’re waiting it out like a good clump should.

2.) Garbage will physically release Not Your Kind Of People on May 22nd, 2012. Pick up your copy on iTunes now or hop on over to Amazon to get a CD. It’s their first full studio release in seven years and sounds great from what’s gone through my ears so far.

3.) Coney Island queen Lana Del Rey is gearing up for her next single “National Anthem” and shot a video for it. A few weeks ago it was said to be “Summertime Sadness,” but it seems as though both are getting proper releases and we’re not complaining. Born to Die is one of the best releases of 2012 and both songs are dynamite. Am I right?

4.) Donna Summers shockingly passed away. I don’t really do too much coverage on celebrity deaths as they happen. I feel as though the media as a whole does enough of it,  and a bit insincerely sometimes. So, a simple Tweet or small Facebook post from me is enough to suffice my immediate condolences and hopefully remind people to Feel Love. Rest in peace, Disco Queen.

5.) Alternative rock veteran Alanis Morissette released a lyric video to an okay new song called “Guardian” which is the single off Havoc and Bright Lights. Album is slated for release August 28th. She’s embarked on an International Tour. No United States dates are out yet.

6.) Kinesthetiac released a track called Fowur and a new EP entitled Cout Miny Candy which you can get at his Soundcloud. Read more about the little prodigy in our Infrasound artcle about him.

7.) We’re no closer to a new Boards of Canada album than we were the day after Trans Canada Highway came out in 2006. It’d like to say this as A Moment of Clarity, but it’s more like we’re all waiting for someone to Open The $#%&ing Light. Oh well, I’m off to see The Beach At Redpoint so I’ll be too busy with my Sunshine Recorder to Stand Alone waiting for Pete. Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye…

Things I Will Miss While Being Away

For those who don’t know, I currently reside in a small suburban city an hour outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’s quaint and all of my friends & family are here, but I honestly don’t think I’ll miss much outside of them. I graduated from the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences with a degree in Audio Engineering in May 2009, and unfortunately had to flee back to my hometown because of financial troubles (school ain’t cheap, yanno). It’s now officially three years later and I’ve worked a slew of low paying jobs in hopes of being able to relocate to a metropolitan area and work my way from the bottom into the recording industry as a studio engineer.

It’s a difficult, stressful, daunting, and all around maddening situation that I’m still steadily searching to remedy. I’ve been full steam searching for apartments in and around New York and Los Angeles and looking for interesting jobs I could take while inquiring with studios. But, how can anybody pay rent out there?

The few odd studio jobs around the area were great to me, but they never had any room to keep their interns. I’ve been a walking, non-paid intern bouncing from studios for three years. Let’s face it, Pittsburgh isn’t exactly the place to be for the music/audio industry as a whole.

I think right now all I need is a short, budgeted vacation with some great people for a week. Then, back to the grind..

Don’t miss me too much! I’ll put lots of Instagram’d pictures up, 140 character Tweets if anything musically massive or amazing happens, and perhaps some drunk musings in regards to how much I love Rihanna (specifically this) and what I would do with Justin Timberlake if he were sharing a hotel room with me. PEACE!

Indiana based Jared VanMatre, better known under the moniker Kinesthetiac was born in 1997 and has released a slew of ambitious chill out/downtempo Electronic music in the underground, independent music music scene. Filled with evolving melodies, driving percussion samples, and do-it-yourself programming, composing, mixing, mastering, it’s refreshing to hear the emotional depth and sonic layers within his music would pin him right up in a category of musicians that make a living off of labels like Ghostly International, Warp, Music70, Mute, etc, etc.

Though right now Kinesthetiac and his releases reside at Retronym records, where Fields Of Thought has just been released and has grown to become one of our top records of 2012 so far.

It’s opening track starts off with a piano-based introduction called “Empty Corners” and continues sprinkles of melodic solo pieces mid-way through the album on “A Garden Path” and the outro track “Free”. It’s an interesting way of allowing the album to flow through natural, mechanical means and barrows from the approach Aphex Twin took on Drukqs, but simply allowing the piano pieces to melodically further the album and allow established breaks between the highly programmed tracks.

“Mind Castles,” the third track on Fields of Thought plays like a track we’d hear from Orka Veer, but with progression. Toward the middle of the song, the structure steers far away from it’s original foundation and laments a minimal and sentimental synthesized solo that provides a unique breakdown before trudging right back into the Dream-pop champion feel of the flowing production.

A remix of a Memoryhouse track called “Bonfire” also makes its way as one of two Kinesthetiac remixes on the record, and also contains the same creative mixing technique, while manipulating vocals to give the song a Pogo or even, sometimes, a slightly dark Crystal Castles feel, recalling the vocal warping on “Violent Dreams” off their sophomore release.

Don’t let all of the comparisons to noted artists fool you, as you can clearly hear influences from all over the EDM spectrum, Kinesthetiac stands self-rulingly on his own. “Head Cold” is one of the more experimental pieces on the record that contains a sort of brass section that interestingly has a delay on it to give a trance feel it. It’s not often that a brass-esque feel has been brought to Electronic music in this manner, and the progressive build up is one to be commended for as well.

Chillwave influences make their way on “Transends” with a nicely used parallel compression technique that uniquely squashes the pads with each strike of the kick drum. Later on, “Fragments in time” sets its song structure up to a warm synth-bass feel and sampled vocal stutters that experimentally drive the track along it’s stream of consciousness, but is fearless in that it will occasionally break away for a measure to allow the other instruments and musical bits to have their own moments in the track before building up to yet another wonderful euphoric climax.

The most absorbing part about the entire Kinesthetiac experience is that this amount of emotion, this programming, the melodies, the rhythms, song structure, mixing, and mastering are all from VanMatre and he is just fifteen years old. While must teenagers are going through their high school years trying to find their niche and hone in on their craft, Jared’s got it and if he knows what’s good for him, he won’t let it go. Fields of Thought is a brilliant accomplishment for a musician of any generation and to hear a cohesive piece of music to this extent is a privilege.