The debut EP from Chicago-based S4M23 channels personal and collective loss into a cathartic release that demands attention.
Following the release of Limewax‘s Untitled and Speed Dealer Moms‘ SDM-LA8-441-114-211, Trickfinger and Aura T-09‘s Evar Records imprint is keeping its foot on the gas, officially introducing the arrival of its sub-label, RAVE4EVAR. Embracing more of an outlaw mindset, RAVE4EVAR was created as a place for rebellion to collide with rave, offering refuge for off-the-cuff releases, special projects and occasional one-off collaborations.
Ushering in the sub-label’s inaugural release, RAVE4EVAR is proud to present Chicago-based DJ, producer and new media artist S4M23‘s debut EP, Angelface. The five-track project, set to arrive on July 2nd via a limited edition cassette and digital download, combines haunting vocals with pounding kicks and rave synths to create a moving take on hardcore. Written and recorded during a weeklong session in April 2020, the creation of Angelface took place during a period of processing grave personal loss juxtaposed with the collective state of chaos, grief and fear brought on by the covid-19 pandemic.
Within that specific period of time, S4M23 channeled intense emotion to reflect how cathartic it can be to honor the connections we build with one another despite how frenetic and heart-wrenching the circumstances of a particular moment or experience can be. Pouring an immense spectrum of emotions into Angelface, these productions eschew simple repetition to create unexpectedly complex rhythms and textures that evoke the sounds of British club music and ’90s rave, while simultaneously creating something entirely new.
“While this EP is honestly very different from almost all of the work I’ve made before and am planning to make in the future, I always sense a common thread while reflecting over the timeline of music I’ve created,” S4M23 says, noting how music has always played an integral role in paralleling their own growth as an artist and person. “Dark swirling harmonies, melodies and a commonality in rhythmic choice reflect my own tendency to become obsessive and seek out intensity in a way that I can control, manufacture, ebb and flow. The process [of writing Angelface] made me realize fully how meaningful it can be to create music with someone in mind, and/or even just a strong feeling or desire. This put things in context as I find that the music I gravitate to when I am listening often gives me a heightened emotional response or even a physical one; music that gives me pins and needles or brings tears to my eyes.”
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