Inspired by elements of jazz drumming and grainy synth waves, VHS in “Utopia,” gives us five soothing rhythmic panoramas and a dance beat underbelly that keep us longing.
“Selva,” meaning “jungle” in Spanish and Portuguese, throws a real curveball of a dance track. Gripping one’s immediate attention with colorful, stuttering synth chords, they boomerang and permutate throughout this nine-minute track. The energy is self-sustaining, and much like the ecosystem of a dense forest, the track recharges itself from ground level when in the beginning, live drums crawl as if accompanying a lazy jazz ballad. Struggling against the chopping synths, the drum patterns climb to higher energy levels when individual elements accelerate and subdivide. The snare flutters, the kick syncopates– rising slowly with a high pass, we finally view the jungle from its canopy when the eclectic drum patterns coexist in one holistic fabric. The result is breathtaking.
“Espera” and “Apúlia” are two minimal, darker tunes that have the seductive quality of a dancefloor warm-up, focusing our attention on the rhythmic loops that induce a loss of self. In Apúlia we are kept afloat by a swinging semitone melody and creeping ambient swells. The use of filters is pervasive in this EP, particularly in the way it opens and closes a small section of thick sonic layers, creating a woven texture that confuses our sense of time and timing.
The Hayes Collective based in Lisbon, Portugal is a true gem. Offering up quality tracks absent any pretense, only straightforward commitment to rave and experimental sounds. Many of their tracks are featured on their instagram, highlighting their dreamy album artworks created from a combinatorics of colors and textures. “Utopia” may not accept visitors at this time (or ever), but still, we reside peacefully in its noise.
-Lina Xing
Link – Bandcamp
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