Written by Lauren Rosier
Electronic artist and producer, Nicholas Gunn, is thrilled to share his latest record, Sound Condition, out now via Blue Dot Studios.
On Sound Condition, Gunn opens his latest work with the ambitious track, “The Unfolding.” The album embraces elements of ambient, electronic, and experimental music and the results are amazing. The track opens hauntingly with a wind instrument and it feels so epically peaceful, yet so incredibly haunting. The gentle keys of the piano join, then in the background, the listener can hear the gentle shake of a percussion instrument.
The following track, “Shine,” gradually opens into an incredibly cool track with a terrific melody and the instrumentals and production really do “shine” well. I even hear some synths in the track, but honestly, they sound a little bit out of place.
“Angels” features vocals by Alina Renae and is a more upbeat, danceable track. It’s not a bad song and the vocals aren’t that bad. The track is a nice transition from the haunting instrumentals to an upbeat, fun song with beautiful vocals.
Gunn is definitely extremely skilled at his transitions; how they ebb and flow so seamlessly. I loved the title track on the record. It starts off very gently, then he adds in some acoustic guitar and the listener can hear the fingerpicking on the guitar. The details in the song are just beautiful.
On “My Body Is a Temple,” it begins very dramatically with graceful wind instruments and piano, and gradually begins to grow louder and louder and louder. Throughout the piece, you hear the drums bang thunderously.
I loved the track, “Broken.” The vocals of Alina Renae were absolutely gorgeous and the instrumentals were graceful, beautiful, and peaceful. The next track, “Language,” also starts out with beautiful, peaceful instrumentals, but it threw me for a loop, as the sounds became louder and louder. I became enveloped and could almost feel the piano in “Language.” It was so beautiful.
On two of the last two tracks on the album, “Just Us,” and the last song, “The Promise,” Gunn featured Alina Renae on both tracks. Her vocals paired so well with his instrumentals.
“If 2020 were to have a soundtrack, it may sound like this,” Gunn says. “At least to me it does. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that being in sound condition (in every respect) matters. Sound condition, in its actual definition, means to improve ourselves and our surroundings. When I look back at this past year, we have seen absurdity on a level not experienced in anyone’s lifetime. The ability to manipulate mass audiences, create chaos, and divide and infect society can be attributed to a few people in control who lack the very definition of being in sound condition. It’s the antithesis of a life lived with a deep concern for humanity. A reality created only by the self-desire to suit one’s own personal agenda.”
Sound Condition Tracklist:
1: The Unfolding 4:31
2: Shine 4:13
3: Angels (feat. Alina Renae) 4:00
4: Sound Condition 4:21
5: My Body Is A Temple 3:40
6: Broken (feat. Alina Renae) 3:28
7: Language 4:38
8: Just Us (feat. Alina Renae) 4:05
9: Flow: 4:55
10: The Promise (feat. Alina Renae) 3:43
Connect with Nicholas Gunn
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