Still relatively unknown in house music circles, Byron The Aquarius has managed to catch the ear of some prominent tastemakers from the Motor City. Coming off of his recently hyped “High Life” release on Theo Parrish’s renowned Sound Signature record label, Byron The Aquarius continues to ride the Detroit wave. This time, we see him release a six track EP called “Gone Today Here TMRW” on Kyle Hall’s Wild Oats.
Byron comes from a primarily Hip-Hop focused background and his roots shine through on “Co$mic $hit” which features Trey Hemingway, a producer he’s collaborated with in the past. A pumping shaker and opening pad, an alien-like voice paired with a paranormal ambience and a synth solo effectively combine to take the listener on a trip into extraterrestrial territory. The arpeggiated elements on “Space and Time” give it a cosmic vibe as well but with more of a jazzy flavour due to the Rhodes keys and natural sounding drums heard throughout. Live elements such as the aforementioned drums are what Byron The Aquarius believes to be missing in much of today’s music.
MDMA has featured on quite a few of Byron’s tracks in the past and the pair collaborated again on “Exxxtasy”. An uptempo groover with repetitive vocals and atmospheric noise throughout, it’s got a perfect late night vibe. “Moments in Life” has a more uplifting and soulful tone about it and it’s simplicity is what makes it one of the stand outs. That’s not to say that the track is simple by any means as the instrumentation on it is superb, with all of the elements forming a perfectly ear-pleasing concoction. Taking on a similar lighter flavour is the second track on the B side, “The Sun”. Running water, exotic bird samples, arpeggiated rhythms and playful chords all form an ambience that takes you right to a tropical beach. The final track on the release, “A Better Tomorrow” may lack some of the pizzazz of the others but it still appeases the aural senses with a galloping rhythm and playful groove.
As a producer still coming into his own in a thriving underground scene, Byron The Aquarius is quickly standing out. With his outstanding keyboard playing and refreshing jazzy riffs and solos, he’s definitely somebody to keep an ear on. For more on Byron The Aquarius stay tuned for a special exclusive interview and mix.
https://soundcloud.com/wild-oats-music/byron-the-aquarius-gone-today-here-tomorrow
Igor
