Survey Channel - Canvas Doubles

 

Released: March 31

With his first release on the prestigious Werra Foxma Records, Matt Donatelli of Survey Channel bring a new light to his typically hazy and faintly nostalgic body of work. Never one to stay far from the realms of comfort and peaceful introspection, Donatelli takes us on a sunrise journey with smooth synths and slightly off-kilter rhythms with enough stability for the casual listener but enough depth for those who want to dig deeper in their listening. Opening up with "Usselo" and "Debris Analogs," you can almost hear the dawn breaking over dew covered grass as the warm pads wash over and the synths ping about playfully in the background. With the latter, we finally get our first taste of the complex rhythms offered with the synths intermingled. 

Moving through the album, "Linoot" gives us a little taste of tension in its intricate and driving rhythm but not so much as to spoil the rest of the calm experience throughout the album, just enough to spice things up slightly. We get a similar treatment once we hit "Magic Weather" with it's early dubstep inspired rhythm. Overall, the track progression of the album presents something of a rise and fall in mood and excitement with some tracks being completely absent of rhythm while others lean heavily on rhythmic intricacy. Certainly one for your sunrise drive to work or simply enjoying a coffee on your back porch.