Cup
Spotted Peccary, 2023
8/10
The 8th album from the electronic artist AeTopus (Bryan Tewell Hughes), the 13 songs that make up Cup possess plenty of ambient and experimental gestures.
The atmospheric and cinematic opener, “Pure”, presents much beauty in a mysterious setting, and “Clean Break” follows with a unique dreaminess that’s highly melodic and comes in waves of rich songwriting.
In the middle, “Drue” carries a soft buzzing of soothing, almost nature like ideas, while “Glance” enters more percussive nods of creative and unpredictable ebbs that arrives with a therapeutic appeal.
Close to the end, the noisy fuzz of “Advent” allows for flashes of sci-fi bouts and glitchy manipulation, and “Softgreen” exits with a distinct simmering of swirling, hazy gestures via the electronic wizardry.
A trained visual artist, AeTopus uses space and tension strategically, where the beats and rhythmic structures brush up against IDM and techno for a truly atypical expression of artistry.
Travels well with: David Franklin- Passings; David Arkenstone- Music Inspired By Middle Earth Vol. II