Review: P.sus – Sky Rhythms (2011)

P.sus’ dreamy drift through the cosmos, ‘Sky Rhythms’, will please fans of piano-based hip hop and the softer side of the Japanese beat scene, but may just be a little too spaced-out to grab you at first listen.

Based out of Pittsburgh, P.sus‘ approach on ‘Sky Rhythms’ draws a bit from the legacy of the exhausted chillout genre (which dominated the ‘Dance’ section of your local music store in and around 2002), but thankfully seems more heavily influenced by what I call piano-hop, similar to Eternal Morning (Korean duo Tablo and Pe2ny), Hokkaido’s Michita, or the late Nujabes.

That is all to say, expect to hear: Tinkly piano riffs, light synths and pads, a few filtered jazz samples, ceaselessly unvarying drum patterns, and some trills and whistles. Oh, and reverb. Lots of reverb.

Commenting on the genre itself might be a waste of space, since you’ll either connect with the head-in-the-clouds aesthetic or not (and a good indicator for you is whether you enjoy the ‘Symphony of Science‘ videos). The energy level rarely raises above a peaceful melodic murmur, but that hardly seems to be the point. This is finely chilled and delicately balanced background music, rewardingly textured and relaxingly arranged, built on the trusty mainstay of the electronic music scene, the 4-bar loop.

So fair warning, you’ll either adore it, or be bored out of your mind. But you can’t argue against the fact that these are solidly made instrumentals with a strong sense of style and consistent approach.

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Sky Rhythms (Digi Crates) / Sound Spectra (Free Download)