Gab Strum (Japanese Wallpaper) is one of those producers you can always count on to deliver something of the downtempo variety that's more than just a few snooze-inducing synths attached. Now, that's not to say that he's the inability to captivate with minimal amounts of elements if need be, but time and time again, his knack for sonic enchantment propels his sound upwards towards something special, with myriad, perfectly implemented additions added as a result. On his latest, a single entitled "Between Friends", Gab sees his sound accompanied by Facebook acquaintance Jesse Davidson, a vocalist who lends his light, amiable tone to what background bells and deeply serene synths the former implements on the effort here. Naturally, we're lulled by the way the electronic takes us away, but we're too captivated by Jesse's equally likable lines. They're nearly poignant with the way they emphasis each piece of advice offered, and really, one can acquire some nice knowledge by tuning in attentively to what Jesse's saying. Overall, though, Gab and him together create a fine piece of electronic-pop—one as artistically pleasing as idea-invoking—and we're really hoping more vocalists follow Jesse's lead here and work with the producer for more collaborative tracks.
Japanese Wallpaper