Your EDM featured Galapaghost last year with his dark and emotive album Pulse. A combination shoegazing rock and innovative EDM, IDM and drone, fans were put on notice to keep an eye on this New Artist Spotlight. While Galapaghost’s music was thought-provoking back then, a more indie-focused EP and several personal crises later the Italian artist has moved to Austin and is even more focused on connecting with his audiences both mentally and emotionally.
A Planet Without an Atmosphere released last month and while it’s still rooted in Moog and tube amp-style synths and ambient sound, there’s much more EDM to it, especially in the first few tracks. There’s less lyrical play on this release aside from “Smother Nature” and it’s interesting with that track because despite having a similar musical structure to the other tracks on the EP, the addition lyrics takes that structure straight to indie. This means Galapaghost’s style has become more versatile but still maintains its emotional and tonal core on the line between EDM, IDM and indie music.
Still much more experimental and contemplative than most EDM, the way A Planet Without an Atmosphere moves toward EDM the most is in its beat structure. The title track and EP opener has a slower breakbeat, sort on the border between trip hop and breaks but it’s definitely the bounciest track the release, with ambient starburst sounds and an organ-inspired synth. There are vocals here as well but more sparse and back-facing. The overall effect is that a Gorillaz interlude track: danceable yet alternative.
From the first track, the EP vacillates between experimental indie, experimental IDM and drone-inspired breakbeat but it’s still very much in the IDM vein, only with more danceable beats. The EP closes with “Teremoto” which does a great job summing up the work: it’s got a strong, pseudo-trap beat, experimental yet melodic synths and an emotive vocal background.
Galapaghost’s aim with this EP was to connect with his audience on an emotional level because he himself has had such an emotionally tumultuous year. The beauty with this artist, however, is he seems incapable not producing a release with lots emotion, tenderness and musical connection. Even if you don’t know the story behind his own personal struggles, A Planet Without an Atmosphere shows the next step in Galapaghost’s musical evolution.
A Planet Without an Atmosphere is out now and can be streamed on Spotify or purchased on Bandcamp.