Synesthesia (a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway) is the title of 18-year-old Berlin producer Artem's recently released EP, and it's a collection deep, spacey, and synth-laden textures that would tickle the fancy of any future-sounding beat aficionado. As it turns out, though, it happened to be the lone featured track on the work, the Edikan-assisted "The Weekend", that grabbed our attention tightest; and when you tap in to the energy on the effort, you'll know exactly why that was the case. With galactical synth chords setting the mood on "The Weekend", we know we're in for something pretty profound-sounding from the very beginning. Sure enough, after about twenty-five seconds of sonic suspense, Los Angeles artist Edikan comes in with some unexpected lines (first hip-hop, and then R&B), that are blanketed beautifully by Artem's big bass and 808 percussion. The whole atmosphere takes to loftier heights when these vocals come in, and an undeniable sense of intrigue flows into the sound almost necessarily as a result. The phenomenon doesn't die down as the effort goes, either, amazingly, as Edikan's elegant vocals continue weaving in and out of Artem's ethereal production; and when we're hit again with some hip-hop-inspired lines at 1:46, we're reminded of the extreme artistic dynamic characterizng the track as a whole. It's massive with all the mentioned elements in it, and we'd be remiss to say that we don't want to see these two working together on future projects. Let's all hope for that reality, therefore, while basking in the ethereal elegance of "The Weekend" below.
Artem