"Late night music from the back seat" is a telling characterization of Are You Anywhere, the latest full-length release from Tokyo-based producer Submerse. Originally hailing from the UK, Submerse delivers a sumptuous album that clearly showcases his penchant for moving electronic and ambient music. It also features collaborations with fellow Tokyo beatmaker fitz ambro$e.
While some might designate the album as background ambience, they would be remiss. Highly textured and intricately woven, the album shimmers with bubbly percussive beats and old school slow-jam swagger. From the immediately grabbing "Sleepover" to the eponymously titled final track, Are You Anywhere is a must-listen for any fans of instrumental electronica that seeks to imbue listeners with feeling — natsukashii perhaps? The Japanese word is used to describe some small thing that suddenly invokes strong nostalgia or sentimentality for past or fond memories. Indeed, the title of the album itself gives way to a broader existential state of self-reflection; listeners are invited to truly be anywhere when listening to these 12 tracks, the mark of a talented producer whose immersive soundscapes become touchstones to something more.
(Project Mooncircle)While some might designate the album as background ambience, they would be remiss. Highly textured and intricately woven, the album shimmers with bubbly percussive beats and old school slow-jam swagger. From the immediately grabbing "Sleepover" to the eponymously titled final track, Are You Anywhere is a must-listen for any fans of instrumental electronica that seeks to imbue listeners with feeling — natsukashii perhaps? The Japanese word is used to describe some small thing that suddenly invokes strong nostalgia or sentimentality for past or fond memories. Indeed, the title of the album itself gives way to a broader existential state of self-reflection; listeners are invited to truly be anywhere when listening to these 12 tracks, the mark of a talented producer whose immersive soundscapes become touchstones to something more.
