It's weird to think that without listening to Feeder's 2001 album 'Echo Park', I probably wouldn't be writing this post today. It's certainly been a seminal part of my musical journey. I suspect that Antonio Elia Forte, the man behind Echopark, wasn't similarly inspired by the Feeder album. However, his experimental sounds are inspired in a different, enchanting manner.
Echopark seemingly appeared out of nowhere earlier this year with the Animal Collective-influenced 'Teleportation', which quickly won favour with many music writers. We showed a little more restraint, not because of its lack of quality, but merely because we wanted to hear more before making our judgements. And now, Echopark has brought us the magical 'Gray Clouds' and I'm firmly won over.
'Gray Clouds' is a woozy number and even more palatable than 'Teleportation' (which you can download for free below). The instrumentation evokes relaxation despite its boisterous nature, whilst the hushed vocals remind us of another London-based Italian musician Banjo Or Freakout - an excellent reminder. Echopark's debut album 'Trees' comes out on April 16th, and is looking better by the minute.
Find more info at facebook.com/theechopark.
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