Within two years of ‘serious’ DJing in the city, Caleb L’Etoile drops his first official multiple track release, the Body Water EP. Perhaps my thoughts are biased because we sat beside each other in our university’s modern composition courses as we threw spoons at the wall and declared the significance of our art, but I contend that Caleb’s first outing is a freshman success.
‘Reservoirs’ is layered with rich summer sounds, the right tone for DC’s ice cream colored sunsets. A mood setter – not exactly a sad summer and on the other end of the mood spectrum it won’t commit to sentiment, for sentiment is the ultimate sin. Affect has been placed in the middle by the narrative of the reverbed fuzz vocals and the overall tone, resolution pending. Perhaps that’s the intention- suspended in summer with suspended emotions.
‘S.A.Y.’ falls into a deeper and harder pocket after a mid-range droning intro. Swirling synths, starship pads, and bright piano chords nod to Knuckles as the ghost in the machine. The track builds on the feeling of suspended time and emotion noted previously. A unique feature is the application of chop and screw production to soul backing vocals and the placement of end vocal product in a indie/house context.
Overall, ‘atta boy.
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