hollowbeak - Esthetique Plaisir

Hollowbeak

Esthetique Plaisir
self-released; 2014

3.5 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Sampling has been undeniably progressed and evolved. Artists like Four Tet and Herbert have successfully redefined what you can do with a sample. With that a new generation artists continue to step up to the  plate and see what they can bring to the art. One of those artist is solo producer/musician HollowBeak who recently released a five song album entitled Esthetique Plaisir.

Hollowbeak made the the album by recording found sounds and then recording organic instruments such as vocals and bass in his studio. Stylistically, he combines hip-hop, electronic, and even indie rock.

 He opens with arguably the highlight of the album entitled "Breathe Ft. Georgia Daniels". He lays down a thick hip-hop beat that is covered in the soulful vocals of Georgia Daniels. I really think that her vocal performance was exceptional and would have loved to hear her voice on a number of other tracks. HollowBeak plays it smart on the track and doesn't stuff to many elements and (no pun intended) lets the vocals breath. That being said I did enjoy the end of the tracks where he experiments with a couple variations of white noise. 

The second track “I’m Cream” is another solid tune but truth be told the vocal performance isn't on the same level as the first track. HollowBeak creates a fluid, deep hip-hop style beat that get covered in soft distortion like waves. “Szerelem Ft. Zsofia Szucs” was a decent track but didn’t fit too well into the album. The production sounded lo-fi and veered towards indie rock. The drums and guitars sounded live and raw and contrasted with the thick, sounding hip-hop style beats you hear earlier on the album.

HollowBeak is a gifted artist but can make some improvements. The album has some solid material but the production is not consistent and neither are the styles he  implements which makes for a enjoyable but sometimes jarring experience. Overall, a little of tweaking needs to be done but he is on the right track and looking forward to hear his future work.