More than familiar with the budding chillwave scene, instrumentalist su na has been brewing intricately layered, heavily beguiling pieces for quite awhile now, and with the release of his sophomore EP, Meridian, on Syzygy Records, the Minneapolis-based talent is set to conclude 2014 on a very high note. Only a month since the release of his debut EP Attached, though, the highly proficient act has evolved at an incredible pace in both ingenuity and dexterity—fusing numerous innovative sounds and styles graciously—and as a result, he's engendered a more than alleviating ambiance. The EP-titled piece, “Meridian”, unhurriedly sets the project in motion with spacey, breaking chords illuminating the scene, and as they’re accompanied by drums and a set of sugared vocal cuts, they burst a thoughtfully delightful saw-heavy drop. Cowbells, clave arpeggios, and other percussive elements continually elbow the aforementioned components, and, in turn, showcase su na’s ability to paint layers upon layers of sonic goodness without the slightest mishap. The appropriately titled “Futurepast” is the concluding yet overly fulfilling track of the EP, and it follows up from the former piece gorgeously, initiating itself with slow-moving, revealing chords, and then making way for muffled cuts and the emergence of a teasing drum beat. The ingression of white noise at that point is a stroke of genius on su na’s part—simply because it leaves us in high anticipation of what’s to follow—and the result doesn’t disappoint, as a sudden sweep gives rise to a break-filled, oscillating medley of polysynths and hat-heavy patterns. With the vocal cuts beside, too, “Futurepast” prompts several, successive listens. Su na’s Meridian might be a short-lived one, but the amount of detail embedded in each of the two pieces ensures it's one worthy of repeat and wide dissemination.
su na