See A Light // Aubyn

There are few producers out there who consistently manage to maintain a sound unlike any other, where influences are apparent and yet contorted and mangled into their own anomalous shape and size. Kane Aris, going under the moniker Aubyn, has managed to do this for a few years, and for this I hate his guts out of pure jealousy. ‘See a Light’ is the first track from an EP of the same name, and accomplishes startling originality with expert precision.

Perhaps one reason Aubyn stands head and shoulders above many producers in the increasingly overcrowded scene is his use of vocals. See a Light’s title track hears Kane’s voice for the first time in quite a while. It’s a feature I hope he continues to drop in with future productions because of how distinctive and emotive it can make his music. Aubyn’s singing often reminds me of a ghost speaking from a watery grave; I put this down to his taste for drenching his voice in swathes of warbling effects and cavelike echoes, leaving it distant and hallucinatory.

The same deliriousness (and sometimes nauseating) power of Aubyn’s vocals on this track can also be said of the overall production, particularly the wavering synths and flickering hyperactive whistles that gives it the unmistakable smoky-haze aura of a bedroom recording. There’s something simultaneously rough and yet polished about Aubyn’s stuff, which kind of reminds me of Gerry Read or Actress. This could be because the sounds he uses come from anywhere between sampling forgotten vinyl to processing synthesizers through a guitar amp. And yet, despite all this, all the elements are somehow strung together with staggering cogency, making them listenable for anyone, and perfectly appropriate for a club-environment. This can be seen in See a Light wit the 140bpm kick n clap beat that pushes the whole thing forward and makes it easily danceable.

There’s little doubt in my mind that any day now, Aubyn is going to find some sort of musical success, purely for his refreshing imagination and his exceptional production. Check out the See a Light EP sampler below and see if you don’t agree.

• Published
• May 10, 2012

• Credits
• Words by Georgie_McVicar