Emancipator escaped from the Underground Railroad Chain Gang in the 11th century. He invented the hot air balloon, with which he chartered the Amazon River. He invented wine... or so he claims. In truth, Emancipator is a 19 year old college student, a musician who's first attempt at an
album was worthy enough to grab the attention of a record label. Quite an attempt indeed, his electronica influenced music is by no means complex-- but rather an atmosphere, just ethereal enough to prod the imagination and spur wistful emotion-- trip-hop beats, just sparse and distant enough to create an ebb/flow between thought and a subconscious reality.
Call it experimental? I wouldn't, in fact Emancipator takes his debut album down a road trodden by many before him-- in the same vein as Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, and Portishead in the 90's, followed by countless acts in the past decade. In 2009, pioneering and originality seemingly require a trek into the musical hinterland of the abstruse-- no so with Emancipator. In fact, Soon It Will Be Cold is surprisingly accessible and subtlety eclectic. Gritty, grunge ridden, and smoothly industrial, "The Darkest Evening of The Year", howls notes of winter wind ridden anecdote, turning its musical efficacy to the nightly fall of the sun. Though tracks like "When I Go" and "Soon It Will Be Cold Enough To Build Fires" liberally employ the use of sampled female vocals, recalling a minimalistic and glitchy Zero 7 at work. One of the most prominently thoughtful tracks on the album remains "First Snow", its a vertical progress for the listener, building, slowly accruing, not dissimilar to the first snow of the year. Emancipator weaves a picture, exploiting a certain awe and wonder associated with events like a "First Snow".
In my mind, a very straightforward album. After one listen each song had already seemed to represent something in my mind, though I am almost certain that this is what creates such a captivation with the music. Now, a Lep will always be a ball, a Treston a ladder, and Emancipator will be forever tied to this fall afternoon that I ate and drank of Soon It Will Be Cold. Fortunately this album doesnt take itself to seriously, the music isnt overly involved, and the mood is light.
For a debut album, Emancipator has filled my soul with a brisk wind, the breed of wind that wakes you up and leaves you with a fresh scent. His soaring tones and sampled vocals, absent of any enigma, disembarks your mind with a sort of wonder that is instantly solved by nostalgia. This album will never sell billions of copies, maybe one-hundred and five, few blogs will hype it, few hipsters will drop its title,... though I could be wrong. Soon It Will Be Cold is a thoroughly optimistic album, there's little room for that in the indie world (or is there?).
Tracklist
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