Swimful - 《Rushlight》SBKT051

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Swimful，本名Jamie Charlton，是一位曾经活跃在上海的英国音乐人，今年刚搬回英国。从防空洞的地下场景Shelter时代，到现在独立的音乐厂牌SVBKVLT，他一直不断地将自己的灵感镶嵌入不同的音乐类型中，从早期Swimful Buterfly艺名下的氛围蒸汽波，到和著名网络说唱传奇Lil B合作的cloud rap，到Gaika今年发行上的Dancehall/Grime制作，到和Love Bang合作的上海名曲Where U From的合成器波风格，等等。而噪音，实验，甚至古典音乐也对他产生着不同程度的影响。

《Rushlight》是Swimful在厂牌发表的第五张专辑，也是他生活在中国八年后回到英国的第一张专辑。以“ Rushlight ”为名，作为一种探索英国阶级文化的象征——在电灯泡在英国变得普及之前，Rushlight（中文名为灯芯草），是不列颠群岛的穷人用来照明一种便宜而有效的方式。

整张专辑贯穿着南非的风情，原木鼓，Amapiano，Gqom等元素，被UK drill和UK bass完美融合，形成了一个充满生命力、独一无二的聚合物。这些不同地域声音的融合也代表了英国工人阶级文化里世界性文化的交织。这种随机和惊喜，也许就像他所说：“音乐之所以美好，它不必有什么确切的意义。”

Viatica

南非原木鼓的律动带你进入了一个幽深的洞穴，随着的鼓点密度的不断加重，氛围也更加冷艳。大约110 BPM的amapiano构建了这个地下世界的框架，微小的声音细节则描绘出了一副更具空间感的壁画，而潮湿与冰冷是这里的主题。

Translation To Heaven

打击乐器的节奏这一次热情地翻滚了起来，这无疑是这张专辑中迈出舞步的最佳选择。间歇性的口哨，跳跳糖般的弹舌，此刻烟雾升起，汗水降落，水滴的音效在此刻也变得再合理不过了。

Official Party Line

渐进的过程中混入人声的采样，使得旋律更具有特殊的压迫感，在UK Drill搭建的平面上，短促的呓语、喊叫，足够下沉的合成器旋律，仿佛一团乌云正在缓慢降落。

Backwards

拉满效果，带着节奏的人声pad的质感贯穿整个音乐画面，各异的片段式的拼接，就如蒙太奇的电影手法，带领你跳脱时间和空间，进入贩卖异国香料的市场或者神秘古老的宗教仪式。

More Distant on Approach

140的dubstep在一片冷峻的铺垫后破土而出，制造了一种高能量的紧张情绪，突如其来的Gun shot的采样，带领我们在他的音乐地下通道里进行了一次呼吸紧促的奔跑。

Translation to Heaven（Ikonika Remix）

来自Hyperdub的Ikonika的remix，给音乐场景带入了更晶莹明亮的质感，amapiano依旧热浪不断袭来，但清脆的kalimba音效却像一场及时雨，温度下降，但是情绪不减。

More Distant on Approach (Phelimuncasi Remix)

来自南非的三人组Phelimuncasi（今年五月刚刚在Nyege Nyege Tapes上发行了一张广受好评的专辑）的人声，以及DJ Scoturn制作的加入，给原本更直观的音乐带来了不可抗拒的混沌和欢乐。Gqom的无限活力，重复的多节奏，咆哮式的呼喊，使得我们的听觉像一辆狂野的跑车，不断地超负荷运转起来。

相似推荐曲目：

Lithe - It’s Rhythm

Anunaku - Spirale

Anna Kost - Cr 22

Less-O - Behind Closed Doors

AUCO - Enjoy The Light

Jamie Charleton, otherwise known as Swimful, is an English producer who, before his move back to the UK earlier this year, was a prolific figure in the Shanghai underground scene. From the era of Shelter's underground bunker to the present independent label SVBKVLT, he embeds his creative ideas into the various genres he touches, from his early ambient/vaporwave works as Swimful Buterfly, to the cloud rap beats he made for internet legend Lil B, to retro synthwave stylings of the Love Bang ode to Shanghai "Where U From", to grime/dancehall contributions for Gaika's latest release this year, and more. In his music, one can find the influence of noise, experimental, and even classical music to varying degrees.

Rushlight is Swimful's fifth album on a label. It's also his first album since moving back to the UK after having lived in China for eight years. And indeed, the album name also symbolizes his return to the UK and his exploration of class in the UK. A rushlight was a method of cheaply and effectively creating artificial lighting for poor people throughout the British Isles before electric lighting become widely adopted.

The entire album has strong South African vibes, with log drums, amapiano, and gqom elements, perfectly melded with UK drill and UK bass, creating a lively, unique cocktail of sounds. As a melding of sounds from across the world, it represents the cosmopolitan interweaving of cultural influences of the UK working class. This kind of stochasticism and surprise may be what he meant by "music is beautiful, it doesn't have to have any exact meaning."

Viatica

The rhythm of the South African log drum takes you deep into a cavernous space, and as the density of the drum beats increases, the atmosphere becomes more glamorous. 110 BPM amapiano frames this subterranean world, and tiny sonic details paint a spatial mural, where dampness and coldness are the themes.

Translation To Heaven

The percussive beats roll with fervor this time around, and it's certainly the album's most danceable cut. Intermittent whistles and pop rocks crackling on the tongue, at this moment, the smoke rises, sweat drips, and the sounds of water droplets couldn't have been more fitting.

Official Party Line

Vocal samples are mixed in gradually, giving the melody a distinct sense of oppression. On a canvas of UK drill, there are short ravings, shouts, and moody synth lines, as if a dark cloud is slowly descending.

Backwards

A heavily processed and rhythmically gated vocal pad runs through the entire track. The splicing of different fragments acts like a film montage, leading you through time and space, entering a exotic spice market or mysterious ancient ritual.

More Distant on Approach

140 BPM dubstep breaks through a grim landscape, creating high-energy tension. The sudden gunshot samples lead us on a breathless run through the track's musical underground passages.

Translation to Heaven (Ikonika Remix)

The remix from Hyperdub's Ikonika brings crystal-clear, bright textures to the track. Amapiano still brings the heat, but the crisp kalimba sounds feel like welcomed rain in a heat wave. The temperature drops, but the mood stays high.

More Distant on Approach (Phelimuncasi Remix)

Vocals from South African trio Phelimuncasi, who just released a critically acclaimed album on Nyege Nyege Tapes in May of this year, is joined by DJ Scoturn's production, bringing irresistible chaos and joy to an otherwise more intuitive track. Gqom's infinite vitality, repeated polyrhythms, and roaring shouts turn the track into a wild sports car, constantly turbocharged.

Vibes like：

Lithe - It’s Rhythm

Anunaku - Spirale

Anna Kost - Cr 22

Less-O - Behind Closed Doors

AUCO - Enjoy The Light

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