Inner Space is the latest EP release from Berlin-based DJ and producer, George Upton, AKA Hubrist.
Following 2012’s Resident Disaster and 2014’s Determination, the five-track offering is the first new music from Hubrist since the ‘Sunshine Strut’ single of last year.
The project is an ambitious one, and Upton and Kalo pull it off with subtlety and sophistication.
This new EP, published by Deep Locus Records, comes with a twist. Not only is it Hubrist’s first collaboration with the soul and jazz singer, Sera Kalo, whose vocals appear on four of the tracks here, but it is his first to be released as a ‘visual EP’, with each track accompanied by mesmerising video animations.
The project is an ambitious one, and Upton and Kalo pull it off with subtlety and sophistication. Right from the first track, ‘Orbit’, there are audible parallels with early UK dubstep, before America got hold of it and twisted it out of recognition. Kalo’s vocals, kicking in halfway through the song, are the perfect complement to the progressive synths and snappy beats beneath. The visual accompaniment, quite literally adding another dimension, adds to the dream-like feel. Berliners in particular will appreciate the visual and lyrical references to the city in the next track, ‘Schlesi Tor’, paired with an animated exploration of the well-known underground station.
Hubrist and Kalo have hit upon an intriguing artistic formula, and one that merits undivided attention.
Upton has previously described his genre as ‘sunshine electronica’, but these tracks offer a darker take on his beat-led style. The instrumental-only ‘Child of the Sun’ and the closing title track bring the EP to an echoey, thoughtful end. Hubrist is at his most Bonobo-esque here – in fact, fans of the latter will find a lot to enjoy throughout all the tracks. Together, Hubrist and Kalo have hit upon an intriguing artistic formula, and one that merits undivided attention. Time to roll out that projector.
