I Don't Want To Fall

HOWDY YAPPERS!

Firstly, thank you CAËRUS (Aaron Epping) for your submission!

CAËRUS is an artist and producer who sent over his 7-track project, I Don't Want To Fall that released in late March of this year. When he reached out, he shared that he created this album during a period of intense stress and loneliness to process what he was going through in his personal life. I believe you can genuinely feel some of that emotional weight throughout the album, which blends elements of hip-hop, jazz, and experimental electronic music.

I sat down to listen to this full album while studying in the library, and here is how I broke it down track by track:

• I Don't Want To Fall: The title track starts off feeling like an extended interlude driven by a synth arp I really loved. The very beginning felt a little off, and it sounded a bit crunchy in my headphones (perhaps due to the panning choices). But around the 2:35 mark, I absolutely loved the glitch effect. More towards the end, the vocal textures reminded me of a mix between early Flying Lotus, Richard Spaven, & JIL.

• Ready To Leave It Behind: This one brings a really cool lofi vibe. I enjoyed the crunch and synths on it a lot, and the background vocals do a great job of adding a subtle layer beneath the song.

• Questions: This track opens with an off-kilter piano line I didn't really enjoy because it gave me creepy circus vibes. It felt really long and repetitive compared to the first two tracks, but you can definitely sense a bit of loneliness here, and it opens up to feel more cinematic near the end.

• Achter In Flappen: I wasn't a huge fan of the rap delivery on this one, but I really enjoyed the production. The synth choices and tones reminded me a lot of JIL especially who I feel pulls similar synths and atmosphere into their sound.

• Get Drunk And Apologize To Myself: Easily one of my highlights from this project. I enjoyed the jazz and synth combo along with the voiceover samples throughout. Most importantly, it didn't feel like someone trying to be something they're not; instead, it felt like authentic feelings, not someone trying to copy another person.

• Prometheus: I loved the natural drums on this track. The rhythmic movement and live-feeling percussion (not sure if it was MIDI, a plugin, or live drums) reminded me a lot of Richard Spaven.

• Stop My Way: Felt much different in tone/vibe than the rest to close out the record, but it was much more R&B and less boombap/jazz, unlike the rest, giving a nice shift in energy.

Even in the moments where certain choices didn't fully land for me, it never feels like someone is trying to copy another artist explicitly. I hear an artist genuinely processing real-life stress and solitude through a rich blend of instruments & other experimental sounds.

Throughout his branding, CAËRUS feels genuinely underground without being performative - it's fun, experimental, and feels like an artist who is actively enjoying the process of trying out different ideas. After delving further into his site, I also noticed he built his own audio plugin called Equinox-1, which looks super cool and is definitely something I'd love to play around with for fun! (Yes that was me unapologetically trying to finesse a cool looking plugin for free.

Fav Tracks: Stop My Way, Ready To Leave It Behind

Least Fav: Questions

Artist Socials & Info:

• Instagram: @aaron_epping

• Listen to the album: https://li.sten.to/idwtf

• Website: AaronEpping.com

3 Song Recs:

• Spin by Richard Spaven

• Cola by Toro y Moi

• Mascara by Jazmine Sullivan

What I listened to while writing this:

• I Don't Want To Fall by CAËRUS

• Locked In Closets by Solange

• Behind The Moon Shadow by Lamp

• trustme by informal.

• On Your Journey by bbsway
  

If you want to hear what I��ve been listening to lately, I make a new playlist every month with songs I’ve been finding & enjoying! You can listen to this month's playlist & more here: tristonscales.co/playlists

And if you’re an artist & want me to possibly yap about your music next, you can submit your music through my site!! I’m always looking for new music

Submit your music here: tristonscales.co/submit-music