Apogee (Single) by Sun Sone
London based imprint and party collective Earthy Measures has been around since 2016, making terrestrial ruminations and humid vibrations, bringing native planet songs made for open spaces, ears, hearts and minds to mingle and merge to.
EM releases a breathtaking album at the end of the year, a debut release from Sun Sone, and a project of London-born electronic producer Luke Martin. Drawing influences from hip-hop, downtempo, neo-soul, and trip-hop, the beginning of his inspiration came from the L.A Beat scene and the artists that stemmed from it like Flying Lotus, Clap Clap! Knxwledge, Jai Paul, Kutmah, and Photay. Using percussive elements and instruments from different parts of the world, elegantly pressing them together to create a sound which is familiar but also alien. The album is set to drop at the end of the year, these three singles will drop one a month ahead of the full release.
First up ‘Apogee’. Sometimes it’s nicer not understanding the lyrics as it means you can attach your own meaning and hear the vocals as simply another instrument. The guitar parts were reversed as an experiment but ended up informing the structure and melody. Mesmerizing, deep, a head nodding groove to get inside and smooth out all your creases.
The rhythm of ‘Body ’captures the feeling of its inspiration, a book by Liu Cixin about a planet in between two suns in danger of the chaotic outcome caused by their unpredictable movement. The beautiful but haunting Japanese vocals are a reference to a character in the book ‘Sophon’, a figurative reference to the troubled and complex historical relationship between China and Japan. It’s a song that is supposed to sound strange, uncomfortable, eerie, and anxious. It’s about existing between different states, and not feeling at peace.
Lastly ‘Echo’ uses a reversed sample of a saxophone, with a vocal discovered by chance which matched the key of the sax. With an incredibly rich and powerful vox tone, the rest of the song was built upon these elements.
Terrestrial ruminations and humid vibrations to colour the clouds and liquify sensations. All that the senses can receive from above and below alchemised into grooves and tropical flow. From the modern-day weaver of dreams, we bring you our native planet songs. Made for the open spaces, ears, hearts and minds to mingle and merge to. EARTHLY MEASURES serves up the medicine to heal your mortal coil.