The balance between electronic music that bops and electronic music that cuts into your soul is an expanse that few can pull off. Few producers have the ability to create a sound that cuts through the norms and still keeps your attention like that of Kelly Lee Owens.On her new album Inner Song she casts a wide net that’s different from her past work while encapsulating some of the best crafted electronic music from the past decade. Taking nods from break beat, techno and House, the album has moments of ambient bliss alongside graces of sheer magnetism.
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The way the producer builds the opening track “Arpeggi” showcases how diverse the overall work is. The soft vocals of “On” that mix with the beats and pop clusters delve deep into what being a producer is all about. Her mix of the vocals layered within varying strands is on another level. The song is so diversified that it sounds like there’s twenty people performing alongside her. While the energy of “Melt!” will immediately get you moving, it’s how it is constructed that will blow you away. Owens utilizes varying beats and synths to paint a world that criss crosses genres while still staying on point like you’ve never experienced before.
The symphonic pop of “L.I.N.E.,” the stark and heavy words of John Cale on “Corner of My Sky” add weight to a track that’s not dark and the well versed tones of “Night” hit your ears like you’ve always wished electronica would. But as the album gets flourished with a cultivated bevy of synths and beats, the favored track came on “Flow.” The unassuming opening of the song is rife with tone and built up notes that get met with this dark techno beat. The song in that moment would be enough for most producers, yet Owens continuously keeps adding these varied tone structures through introduction of new beats and synths. The end result is a masterful display of what all electronic music should be, yet Kelly Lee Owens is the first to lead the way.
Inner Song is ready to purchase in various physical formats from Smalltown Supersound. It’s also available to stream or purchase wherever you do either online.
Image Credits: Photo by Sarah Stedeford.