The debut release from Indianapolis-based artist and producer Svnfish, What Makes You? is a captivating EP with a darkly emotive enthrallment — concocting a cinematic instrumental hip-hop appeal whilst traversing with a murkily beautiful intrigue. The release marks the start of a steady release output from the new artist, who cites influences like Kenny Beats, Knxwledge, JPEGMAFIA, and The Avalanches.
The EP takes inspiration from liminal spaces and landscapes, often depicted on social media for their eerily nostalgic allure. The EP strives for similarly induced feelings of unease, loneliness, and nostalgia — also bolstered by additional influences within the analog horror trend, and the sample-friendly beat-making of Madlib and J Dilla.
“Dodge” is exemplary of the artist’s talented atmospheric prowess. Creeping piano tones and steady percussion craft a darkly hypnotic appeal, bridging those liminal-space and analog-horror references between the glistening piano tones and crackling underlying, respectively.
“Too High” represents the more effervescent spectrum. Playful, bright pulses and playful percussion assemble amidst enthused vocal samples, emitting a soulful warmness. “From Now On” concludes the EP with dazzling appeal, reminding of The Avalanches in its soulful vocal samples and grooving guitar/bass interplay. Svnfish thoroughly impresses with the What Makes You? EP.
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“Ground Water”and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of October 2023’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
