Karhide

Rough Sleep EP

Written by: BV on 01/07/2013 01:21:15

Karhide is the one-man project of multi-instrumentalist/beat-maker Tim Waterfield, who seemingly strives to blend progressive and post-rock elements with modern-day electronica in an attempt to create something truly unique with his predominantly instrumental soundscapes. On this, his “Rough Sleep” EP, the listener is treated to five rather diverse tracks where a multitude of genres are present.

Opening track “Rough Sleep” is a droning loop with the constant, and rather infectious, beat making the backdrop for the remaining musical excursions. With the incorporation of wah-wah laden guitar, grandiose piano parts and vast ambient textures, the soundscape is most of all reminiscent of the post-rock genre’s surreal ambience and the lack of vocals does indeed seem to strengthen that impression. As far as the grandiosity goes, I’ve found my mind constantly wandering towards bands like The World State and Glorie as these seem to be musically related – seeing as all of these tend to share the same melancholic drive and the same scenic textures that are vastly reminiscent of soundtrack music, to be perfectly honest.

The melancholy is in no way diminished on the following track “Piano Run”, which, as the title implies, is largely piano-driven. With the occasional backdrop of infectious bass-lines and the persistent guitar wailing in the background, the tone is set as rather melancholic in this minimalist piece that, if anything, goes to show that a little really does go a long way. Specifically in terms of ambience, that is.

The droning ambience continues unhindered throughout the five songs but my attention seemingly comes to a noticeable halt when reaching the track “Excerpts From Sleep (MAB Rough Sleep Remix)” where there is far less going on than usual. The ambient textures are peculiar, yet vastly uninteresting and falter in comparison to the three previous track – as if the drive suddenly vanished. The dynamics are near non-existent in the track which inevitably leads to a diminished interest from my part.

Karhide has managed to create a diverse blend of post, space, ambient-rock and electronica on this five track EP where there is both room for improvement but also some very cool ideas to build on. Tracks like “Piano Run” are vastly interesting and could be a great example on how to develop this project further, while “Excerpts from Sleep…” is kind of an avoidance track - to me, at least. An interesting effort, all in all.

Download: Rough Sleep, Piano Run
For The Fans Of: Glorie, The World State, Savanna
Listen: facebook.com

Release Date 17.06.2013
Field Records


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