Emancipator "Safe In The Steep Cliffs" Album Review

January 5, 2012 by skov // #emancipator #indie #hiphop #instrumental

A lot has happened in the five years since Doug Appling, better known as Emancipator released his first album "Soon It Will Be Cold Enough" at the age of 19. His intricate guitar pieces delicately layered over his smooth beats made him stand out in the over-saturated genre which is #Electronic. Emancipator's first release gained him a sponsorship with shoe maker Puma, as well as an interview in Rolling Stone Japan. His latest effort "Safe In The Steep Cliffs" shows nothing but maturity. With more intricate Guitar, Smoother Beats, and an overall unique experience, I have recently found myself hooked on this album.

"Safe In The Steep Cliffs" was released in 2010 via Autonomous Music. It contains fourteen instrumental tracks, all entirely produced and played by Appling himself. The opening track "Greenland" starts off right away, getting the listener in the groove with a quick bass line, backed by some airy synth, all overlaid with subtle strums from Appling. The vibe felt in the song is pretty recurrent throughout the entire album, as far as being down tempo and groovy. Appling utilizes a wide range of guitar effects throughout the release, my favorite being on Track 2, entitled "Black Lake".

This album is great for anyone who enjoys some good Chill Out, Downtempo, or Groovy music. I found myself being able to listen to the entire release without getting bored at all, often forgetting what song I was on. Some notable tracks that are my favorite would be

1.-Greenland
3.-Jet Stream
5.-All Through The Night
11.-Vines


Check out Emancipator on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/emancipatormusic

comments (0)