Canadian musician/producer Jesse Somfay has just released his most recent work as Flourish on Traum sub-label Zaubernuss. Hailing from the small town of Elora, Ontario, Somfay is one of Canada's best kept secrets. I originally came across his work in 2009 when I read a review of his full-length record, A Catch in the Voice, which has gone on to be my favourite record of all time. There are few musicians pushing the limits of creation as hard as Somfay, everything I've been lucky enough to hear that he has created has had a significant impact on my life. Before I continue with his most recent work, I strongly suggest picking up a copy of A Catch in the Voice as soon as possible, sitting in front of a good set of speakers and letting it take you over.
The inherent psychedelic nature of Somfay's music induces a trance-like state upon listening. There are elements of reality and unreality that are exposed through the sounds he creates, consonantly vibrating with the listener's innermost existence, something most music never comes close to doing. These four tracks, released as Flourish, are no exception. Somfay lets skittering percussion and bleeding melodies sweep consciousness to a whole other level; the 32nd hats of "It's So Secret," for example, worked over much slower pads create a unique discordance of rhythm that would normally seem disorganized; but Somfay manages to expose the beauty in it. The nine-minute centrepiece of this EP, "Midnight Oracle", is the most moving work included. Smooth, sine-tonal percussion linked with pulsating pads push the track through an intricate body of carefully placed samples and link a slow/fast rhythmic dichotomy similar to that of "It's So Secret." Unfortunately "Midnight Oracle" exceeds our upload limit size and as such is not included below, you will have to pick up a copy to obtain the full experience Black Blizzard has to offer.
Somfay has a number of major projects currently in the works, each holding great promise. He is a producer worth following regularly and will definitely be featured here on Earmilk again in the near future.
You can buy Black Blizzard (Summer Like Sour) at the following online retailers:
Enjoy!
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