Mixtape Review: Subculture - 'I Dream Of Everything'
‘I DREAM OF EVERYTHING’ is the hotly anticipated debut mixtape from producer Subculture, who is known for his work with the likes of Subculture Sage, Tertia May and Tinyman. Tapping into his passion for ‘50s/60s/70s Psych, Soul and Jazz’ the result is an amalgamation of three years hard work.
The opening song ‘Sugar Castles’ is the perfect summation of Lo-Fi Jazz with elements of Hip-Hop littered throughout. With production spread across blossoming waves of echoed vocals courtesy of Desta French, the song perfectly blends into the first of three songs that contain features from Rachel Chinouriri. ‘The River Bend’ is a darker experimental take on that New Yorker jazz style. Woodwind instruments twist and turn in haunting cries, almost disconcerting in the way they pierce through, and shatter the cocoon created by the familiarity of a repetitive bass line.
Continuing further down the psychedelic route is ‘Gunning for Fees’. Its intro is an electric shock to the senses, and the layered synths provide a gooey introduction into a different vibe. Goya Gumbani and Grand Pax’s voices both contain a suitably velveteen quality that is laced with a subtle gravelly tone. The juxtaposing similarities make for intoxicating listening. 'When the World Was Ours' is an interlude of simplicity, with Stella Talpo’s vocals feeling like they’ve come from some distant part in the back of our minds; which is in direct contrast to 'Second Exodus' where she is a siren, soulfully reflecting on her last moments in a hypothetical apocalypse.
'Pull Me Under' comes as a seductive visual dance between lovers, with Rachel Chinouriri and Loius VI playing against each other in mystical fashion. Interludes and transitions are key on this mixtape. It feels almost as if the transitional moments between the songs are as important as the songs themselves. ‘Honey’ is a dizzyingly psychedelic-infused number that perfectly sets the tone for the tinkering piano, and shimmering synthetic notes in ‘The Hammer’. Hemi Moore is the only male vocalist who – as well as delivering passionate spoken-word verses – sings on the mixtape, and his voice oozes with a soulful charm. Closing out the revelry is ‘Rise No More’ which is another hazy number that allows Tertia May’s soothing, breathy, vibrato to shine, in a kind of homage to 'Glitter Stream Stars' where Tertia and Subculture submerse you into a magical wave of reverie.
In ‘I DREAM OF EVERYTHING’ Subculture has managed to tap into the wealth of particulars within consciousness, in just twelve songs. Each collaborator adds a distinct elemental style to the songs, and the moments that stand out most are when Subculture allows his collaborators take the reins on lead vocals.
Words by Tyler Damara Kelly