A Closer Listen
As the title implies, Panoramas takes a widescreen view of creator Chris Bartels (Elskavon)’s life and experiences. Music and voice are smudged into new forms, twisted and bent, then smoothed out with a sonic rolling pin, akin to the cover art. The result is experimental music that sounds mainstream, and should appeal to a wide audience.
While the album includes dance tracks, it is not a dance album; there is too much texture here for that designation. The title track is the album highlight, bright and round-edged, with a pure summer feel. The piano leads the charge; happy vocal samples decorate the drums. Stuttering keys act as a second form of percussion. A beautiful breakdown imitates the moment before the sun emerges from a passing cloud ~ and then the brightness returns. “Blending” is a close second for catchiness, slower and synth-led, but with the same charming blend of sample and beat. “Laus” and “Postcards from Another Life” are also compelling for DJs yet maddeningly short at 1:32 and 2:35; each begs for an extended mix. The first is just getting started when it ends abruptly; the second, which is vaguely reminiscent of Hot Butter’s 1972 hit “Popcorn,” makes one want to go to the movies, if only for a snack. On the other end of the spectrum, ambient dance piece “Ample” reflects its title with a generous run time of 10:14, but seems too long and is wisely placed at the end.
Elskavon is also capable of producing lovely ambient pieces, the finest of which is “How Cold,” a spiritual successor to Moby’s “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die.” Such pieces, interspersed throughout the album, add variety and depth. “No Longer Bound” is another such gem, filled with electronic chimes and exuding a sense of quiet calm. The stylistic switches, frequent yet unobtrusive, suggest the ups and downs of a normal life, a panorama of experiences that when viewed from a distance begin to make a certain sort of sense. Patterns repeat, memories double over, a person grows older and wiser. Bartels is still young; his panorama can only expand. (Richard Allen)
Thu Jun 19 00:01:05 GMT 2025