- We haven't heard much from Taragana Pyjarama since 2012, when Kompakt released his unassuming debut album. Tipped Bowls was the kind of record that came and went with little fanfare, so you'd be forgiven for thinking that the years of silence since meant the end of Nick Kold Eriksen's project. This makes his Ariel EP something of a surprise, but its five tracks are also unexpectedly remarkable in and of themselves. Eriksen has said himself: "It's a new start... I'm just getting comfortable with my music and learning from this, but at the same time everything seems so much clearer now." That clarity comes in the form of contoured arrangements and broad emotional resonance.
Another added element to Ariel is its pop sensibility, which comes largely from the voices Eriksen borrows on each production. The effect recalls crossover-friendly producers like Jamie xx or Burial, though without the latter's dubstep background or the former's bubblegum romanticism. Samples are often used just as background harmony or texture, adding color to the bright synth timbres and billowy atmospheres. Then there's the vaporous "Buchla," with a full-on performance by New Zealand singer Lontalius, and closer "Together." It's a patient song composed around major-chord phrases and disembodied rave energy, with graceful vocal ideas woven into its sweeping ambiance. Sounding both like the EP's centerpiece and Taragana Pyjarama's new modus operandi, "Together" unveils a reinvigorated artist for whom Ariel might just be the cusp of a much bigger statement.
Tracklist01. Givers
02. Ariel
03. Ber
04. Buchla (feat. Lontalius)
05. Together