Disclaimer: This post contains talk of synthesizers, but rest assured fair readers that these are not the 80s synthesizers of Animotion, A Flock of Seagulls or The Fixx. I would also discourage you from tying the electronic aspect of synthesizers to any kind of techno music of the rave scene. Now that your mind has been cleared of such cumbersome stereotypes, I present Washed Out.
The stage name of Ernest Greene, Washed Out is a part of the new crop of Chill-wave artists using synthesizers to create a sound more likely to inspire an appreciation for 80s nostalgia. Instead of being in the middle of a game of laser-tag, the synths envelope you like a fog, creating a cool, hazy environment that can easily operate as background music for your classiest shindig. However, a close listen will not disappoint either.
At it’s Poppiest the music of Washed Out may compel you have a dance party and at its most somber, it is romantic and introspective. The vocals are distant and a bit muffled, blending with the synths, ebbing and flowing along with the rhythm. A cello and a saxophone are just two instruments that make appearances without seeming foreign in this electronic soup of sound. Although Hip Hop has been cited as an influence, there are no overwhelming bass lines here, just crisply complex percussion.
If you like: Bibio, James Blake, Best Coast, Gardens & Villa
Check out: Washed Out (start with Life of Leisure EP and graduate to Within and Without)
Feeling brave: Neon Indian, Toro y Moi, Real Estate, Gold PandaAI level: Beginner