Amidst the flurry of evolving genres, scenes, and passing generations of producers, Mark Rubin has been steadfast in his creative lane, bending his trajectory ever so slightly to encompass new fascinations in the production and sound design communities within his ever burgeoning umbrella of interest. His longtime project, Somatoast, is the working history of his own musical evolution, charting a journey that has always been grounded in prodigious composition and instrumentalism. From Goop to Dreamhop Jazzytime, each of his releases turns the page on his musical exploits, bringing time-tested concepts on a collision course with uncharted territory. In a fashion true to his form, Somatoast has once again brought the vast surfeit of his ideas into a psychedelic melting pot, crafting a new and lucid brew; the Creation is Creation LP.
In an era of producers often choosing to ride out of the gate with a bang, Somatoast opts for the smoother route; “Tapping in Boyd Hill” sits like the layer of cream atop a good dessert, hitting the palette with a velvet richness designed to get the glands salivating. There’s no momentous crash or rousing tension, just the exposition of choice, emotive note relationships in the medium of full-bodied textures that starts and ends on the same gentle egress. After wetting the palette, “Dawn” serves as a faithful and melodious bridge, riding gentle harmonies and forthright percussive shuffles. It’s abrupt end is met with the rising energy of the LP’s namesake track, featuring a delicious half-time interpretation of a steady dance-floor rhythm. “Creation is Creation” channels the classic Somatoast infusion of jazz, space, vocoders, and an undeniable groove, all swelling into the blissed-out, scintillating breakdown that dominates the latter half of the track.
At the LP’s midway point, “Kokoa” calms the rising intensity, featuring an arrangement heavily dominated by harmony and vocal interplay. It floats a permeable atmosphere above the central elements in the mix, putting the focus squarely on the journey, as opposed to the individual steps. The penultimate track, “Icicles”, personifies its title through generous reverb, ride tails, and potent chimes that follow the arpeggiated melodies throughout. At the height of the track, those elements dovetail into stabs of throaty synthesis, bringing the LP’s experience to the peak of its impact. Bidding farewell to the LP’s original compositions is “Ooh Yea”, a sensual dance through swelling chord progressions and delicate juxtaposed textures. There’s a certain shine to the track’s arrangement that feels as sharp as it is sultry, and that is precisely what gives Creation is Creation the Somatoast seal of quality.
As if six resplendent Somatoast tracks weren’t enough to satisfy new and old fans alike, the back half of the LP features impressive remixes by Lapa, Edamame, Skysia, and Kaya Project, bringing a number of top flight composers under one roof. As with previous Somatoast releases, Creation is Creation is indicative of a producer and musician who’s sitting squarely in the zenith of their creativity, and even with the momentous arrival of this new suite of Somatoast productions, we can’t help but wonder what’s in store for next time.
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