small topography - Siphoned Moments

Small Topography

Siphoned Moments
self-released; 2013

3.8 out of 5

Eric Barros is a 20 year old who seems a couple of years ahead of his time when it comes to musical production. Located in Dallas, Texas he started Small Topography after his band fell apart and he decided to invest his time into a more producer-based electronic project. His first effort entitled Siphoned Moments is an impressive debut that contains everything from reverb-drenched guitar, to unique electronic drumbeats and vocals that may draw comparisons at times to The Postal Service. The music itself doesn’t stay static for long. There are lots of changes within a song and enough elements to keep you occupied. I really enjoyed the beats he was making, as they were not unlike Aphex Twin Even though some of the themes he visits on the album are about loss and resentment he is able to create a dichotomy between these emotions and the mostly upbeat music.

The album kicks off with “Inconvenience” which contains some warm synths, great drum programming and excellent use of vocal samples as well. The song has a nice warmth to that I really enjoyed, relaxing yet it wasn’t putting me to sleep. “Folded Tight” continues with a similar feel however there are more synths present this time around replacing the vocal samples. I have to admit I was a bit thrown off when I heard “Siphoned Moments.” I wasn’t expecting to hear a minimal song only containing guitar and vocals. It was actually well placed in the album. The next two songs “Between Our Lungs” and “Doctored Surgeon” revisit the upbeat production of the first two tracks before another acoustic number is introduced. The album ends with an instrumental entitled “Portables” which was the darkest track on the album. Overall, I was really impressed with the diversity on this album and can’t wait to see what’s next for Small Topography.

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