Rhoten - The Space That Binds Remastered
Rock, Alternative, Indie
California, United States
Overall Impression: "The Space That Binds" is a heady, cerebral new release from California-based indie rock artist, Jon Rhoten. This track features a neo-psychedlic, post-rock sound that Rhoten carefully cultivates using phased out electric guitars, hypnotic drums and delicate acoustic instruments to highlight his intimate vocals and introspective, existential lyrics. Rhoten also emphasizes creative sound design on "The Space That Binds", employing interesting foley and effects to further enhance this track's psychedelic nature. With a run time at just over seven minutes, listeners can't help but feel like they're along for the ride, gently transported to another realm of consciousness where time and space are seemingly irrelevant concepts. Psychedelic and art rock fans will find a lot to like here, and shouldn't hesitate to explore "The Space That Binds", the final cut on Rhoten's eponymous EP.
Strongest Point(s): Outstanding production, solid mix. Well thought out, fully realized arrangement. Great build up and use of dynamics. Love the intro, really sets the mood with the lightly strummed acoustic and chugging phaser. Drums sound fantastic, nice beat and variation. Great drop out that occurs around 2:05. Wonderful vocal performance and production, achieving intimacy without sacrificing clarity or tone. Excellent lyrical content. Vivid imagery, trippy themes and nice use of repetition. Great bit of real audio at the end, ties the whole piece together nicely, summing up the psychonaut experience in a clear, concise fashion. All in all, an admirable endeavor and an impressive finished product. Very nicely done!
Target Audience Appeal: Rock, Post-rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Shoegaze, Pop/Rock, Dream Pop, Art Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Neo-Psychedelia
Artist target suggestions: Radiohead, Oasis, Coldplay, The War On Drugs, Tame Impala, The Cult, Stone Roses, My Morning Jacket, Dr. Dog, Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, Soft Machine, Riverside, Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Queensryche
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About the Reviewer:
Steven Azami is a multi-instrumentalist with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Both as a touring/session player and as a producer, his career has spanned nearly every genre, from bluegrass to jazz, from rock to reggae. In addition, his work as a music educator has allowed him to cultivate and foster talent among the next generation of musical explorers