Experience Sons of the Morning

Guillermo Scott Herren is sometimes called the “glitch-hop godfather,” but you probably know him as (among many aliases) Prefuse 73. This New York-based musician and producer has been releasing solo and collaborative works since 2001 and now he’s launching his own record label, Yellow Year. Prefuse 73’s aim is to create an experimental recording label that isn’t concerned with the industry—just creation. To launch his label, he’s releasing a series of EPs called Speak Soon, comprised of artists he’s collaborating with and artists overseeing their own projects. With Speak Soon Volume One, we find Prefuse 73 working with fellow producer and amazing L.A.-based artist Teebs as Sons of the Morning.

Both artists have very distinct styles that they shed almost completely to create this highly conceptual, ambient EP. With some Eastern-inspired strings, the first track, “The Way Winter Passed,” balances on the line of chaos and structure with sound mingling into noise. This sets the tone for the rest of the album. Each song is meticulously layered with white noise, chirping birds, clinging glasses and some fine synth that slips the listener into a meditative state, or at least into marveling at the complexity of what Teebs and Prefuse 73 created. Some of the most marvelous material comes from the sixth track, “Sunday Buzzabout,” which swirls together running water, the human voice and what the space between being awake and being asleep would probably sound like. “Huh,” you say? Just listen.

To say this is a good or bad album would be to oversimplify what we have here. Speak Soon Volume One is an experience: an experience that may not be everyone’s cup of joe, but one that you should just sit back and let happen all the same. As Sons of the Morning, Prefuse 73 and Teebs have pushed themselves hard artistically, and as a result they’ve created something beautiful and worthwhile. Bravo, guys.