- Russian producer Alexey Devvyanin has always felt like an artist without a scene to call his own. Sometimes his music sounds like it came straight out of London; other times, from Los Angeles. His tracks have appeared on the US label Car Crash Set, the UK's Civil Music and Berlin's Leisure System, and Devvyanin also runs his own label, Hyperboloid, which exists primarily online, releasing records from artists like Ultrademon. His debut LP, Places, is based on his memories of cities he visited in the past couple of years—areas with distinct sounds and characteristics—which seems an especially apt idea for such a chameleonic producer.
As "Berlin" fires up, you realize these songs are not imitations of specific places. Though the metallic clink of Berlin techno is somewhere in the track's quick-footed thrust, you'll have to use your imagination to fill in the rest of the picture. Other correlations on Places are more logical: Devyanin serves up footwork for "Chicago," touches on relaxed hip-hop for the Thai resort town "Phuket" and conjures up images of velvet-rope VIP nightclubs with the glossy deep house of "Moscow." But if you have any idea what he's getting at when it comes to "Ottawa," then you've got one better on me. On "Novosib" and "Bodø," he settles on vibrant garage in the vein of Brackles, seemingly ignoring the concept altogether.
In a way, Places works the same way memory does. Just as you only remember certain parts of trips and vacations, Devyanin's musical interpretations of these cities are filtered through his own experiences. Beyond that, you've got the usual Pixelord hallmarks: an iridescent synth twinkle here, a fat midrange bassline there, some pitched-down R&B samples. At times it sounds a little complacent or even dated (no one really needs to sample Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" in 2015). The result isn't always as exciting as the concept makes it out to be, but Places is still a fun record by an excellent producer.
Tracklist01. Berlin
02. Ottawa feat. Dojo
03. Phuket
04. Bodø
05. Beijing
06. Chicago
07. Moscow
08. Novosib
09. 10 37
10. Home