Andrew Steck is a composer based out of Athens, GA. It’s been a few years since I had the pleasure of reviewing his work here on the Jukebox, but here we are with a fantastic new record, Regular Human Music. I had the pleasure of learning about the album directly from Andrew – I especially wanted to dig deep after hearing something I hadn’t heard on his previous records – vocals. The record reminds me of Black Tie White Noise era David Bowie – jazzy instrumentals and post-punk inspired vocals on the songs that have vocals. You may even hear Brian Eno or Danny Elfman inspirations in the orchestral passages. Andew told me that the album’s roots lie in an exercise he performed over the course of about 6 weeks where he wrote a musical idea every day. Sometimes this took place in the wee hours of morning, before the coffee – which lends a dream like feel to some of the passages. There’s a cinematic feel too, perhaps owning to late night viewings of the bonkers (and excellent) Nicolas Cage film, Color Out of Space.
Human Introduction is an instrumental opener that has shades of Pink Floyd. A dramatic flair permeates the proceedings, whetting the appetite for the rest of the album. The Eggtooth follows the opener with a skittering electronic beat and world music vibe that had me thinking of the Talking Heads or Brian Eno. Honest to God vocals enter the mix and it is a welcome change of pace. Andrew’s voice weaves in and out of the music, another instrument in the mix. Magenta is another song that puts Andrew’s voice to good use – the marketing material describes this as eerie R&B which is true – but I also hear The Residents in this song. Unique and unusual. The Tangible Sky is, dare I say it, a danceable number that feels like an 80’s inspired techno song with a dark underbelly. It’s the only song on the record like this, and I’d like to hear more songs in this style on future releases. Human Conclusion ends the album by echoing the introductory song with more layers of guitars. The bookends were written outside of the album sessions, and I like that sense of symmetry. I’m looking forward to what comes next from Andrew.
You can buy the album here.
Verdict: Hypnotic Soundscapes
For Fans of: David Bowie, Kate Bush, Danny Elfman, Brian Eno, David Byrne, Bjork
Tracks:
- Human Introduction
- The Eggtooth
- First Impressions
- Secretive
- Magenta
- New Illumination
- The Search Begins
- Fog and Droplets
- The Tangible Sky
- Molly Aida
- Another Year
- Human Conclusion