Grasping At Reality

Graspers is the debut album of AKASE, a collaboration project between Midland and Robbie Redway. From what Graspers is presenting, AKASE explores a softer side of electronica, with mellower beats and a lot of focus to lyrical content.

“Adrift” kicks off the album with its own hazy intro coupled by really clear sounding lyrics that help break through the fog. “Adrift” helps secure the feelings of grasping at love and reality that will become common themes throughout the album. “Rust,” which was the single given to listeners before the album’s release, comes in with a solid beats intro and keeps up the more mellow feelings that were brought on by the intro song. The lyrics start becoming more complex and depth begins to be added to the album. “Borderlines” begins gaining more of the electronica momentum, and has a slightly more club sound to it. The album’s namesake, “Graspers” has some the most technical music on the album with its slightly more complicated beats. Two songs that stand out a little bit more, though, are “Call” and “Murmur.” Both feature strong beat intros that push the momentum more so than the earlier songs and even the songs that come afterwards, while also still holding onto the depth of the lyrics.

Overall, there is a pervading sadness throughout the album. In every song, there is a longing for something or someone and what it means to be grasping at these things. It is the lyrical content that is able to provide this depth more so than the actual musical content, but this in itself is not a downfall. The lack of technical music helps rather than hinders because it provides more support to the more in depth lyrics, something that usually is not found on an album of this genre. AKASE explores some corners in their music that are usually overlooked.