Single Review | IvoryHaus – ‘Clouds’
Hailing from the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, IvoryHaus’s background elicits an air that’s fitting of the reclusive creative type. Life amongst pristine scenery and boundless nature has evidently had a profound impact on IvoryHaus’s serene and dreamy ambient/electronica works. New single, ‘Clouds’ does exactly what it says on the tin: the music progresses in slow motion with multi-layered dimensions of loose, breathy textures, creating a little slice of heaven in its own right.
Leading the charge are the cascading piano melodies which trail and traipse along with a heavy amount of delay and reverb. A great deal of work went into perfecting the mix of these variables; the transitions from bar to bar and section to section line up sublimely. IvoryHaus avoids common pitfalls with ambient artists – none of the melodies or background washes become squashed in a claustrophobic mix. From start to finish, everything is clear and balanced on this track.
Ironically, the beat remains busy and relatively steady throughout, yet it doesn’t ever escape the downtempo vibe. Synthesised hats in a 16th note flurry keep pace in parallel with the piano melodies, feeling like an anchor for the song. It takes over a minute of slow introductions part-by-part before the beat fully unveils itself. Only in the bridge section does it let up to some degree, where it is interspersed with the demarcation of a reverb-soaked upbeat every four bars.
Ambient walls of deep chords define the undercurrent and provide a near-constant drone that’s subtly hypnotic. Ornamentation-wise, sparkly key lines zip down at the back of the mix, trading off with some truly gorgeous chord swells.
‘Clouds’ is a stellar piece of downtempo ambience. It’s inspired, lively yet calming, immaculately produced, and captures the essence of dreamy electronica, minus venturing into the barren over-worlds of William Basinski and others. IvoryHaus is one to watch.
5/5
