"Bas Relief" (French for “low relief” and pronounced “Bah Relief”) is my latest collection of electronic-based music, a continuation of the work I introduced with "I'm Just Happy to Be Here" (2024).
The name “Bas Relief” resonates for a few reasons: first, the act of making art gives me relief from the chaos of the world today; second, my goal with my music, which is usually happy and uplifting, is to provide respite from the doom-scrolling and rage-baiting hellscape that the digital landscape where we connect has become; and third, that bas relief itself, a sculpting method used in making coins, speaks to the precarious state of commodified music these days. I put my face on a penny because I thought it’d be a humorous way to lament how music has been devalued by streaming services (artists make an average of 0.4 cents per stream) and generative AI.
This EP features four tracks:
"Brave Azaleas," the first single from the EP, fuses breakbeat, jazz piano, synth melodies, and Brazilian percussion. “The world burns, but Brave Azaleas, they bloom anyway,” is a poetic tag line I came up with to summarize the vibe of this song: a ray of light in dark times.
“Viagem a Baia (Travel to the Bay)” also has a little Brazilian-percussion flavoring, but it’s a soaring house-inspired track featuring jazz harmonies.
“Spring Fever,” a jazzy drum and bass tune, marks the first time I’ve commercially released anything with me playing electric guitar (I did record some acoustic guitar for texture on “Viagem a Baia,” which you may hear on careful listen).
Finally, “Talvez Para Voar (2025 Remix)” rounds out the collection of songs on the EP, a revamp of "Talvez Para Voar," released on the EP “I’m Just Happy to Be Here.” Still featuring Lola Leona's lush vocals, this version sports a tighter arrangement and the energetic tempo more consistent with house music. Still on the jazzy side, still surprising with afro 6/8 during breakdowns – just more ready for your dance-music playlists!
As with my previously released EP, I’m releasing "Bas Relief" as a series of singles on streaming services, but making the entire EP available for digital download well before most of the songs hit streaming services.
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