Shawn Russell JohnsonJust last week, Baltimore/DC based producer Image Nation released an exceptional new EP entitled Neuro Logic. The EP, a short collection of 4 extended tracks is an incredible sonic soundscape that aims to guide the listener through a series of conscious experiences. As he describes his music on his facebook page, the tracks he creates are “experimentations with consciousness through the vast range of frequencies.” Neuro Logic challenges that idea, and weaves a number of brilliant compositions that navigate the consumer through a multitude of emotions, experiences, and atmospheres “centered around the theme of perceiving one’s surroundings based on the internal process of their own paradigm.”
The opening track, “Law of Diminishing Returns,” brilliantly eases you into a complex and ethereal soundscape; prefaced by the beautiful sounds of nature. A babbling brook, crickets chirping, and wind moving through leaves relax and ensnare you before heavenly chords breathe through your ears, swallowing you up in sound. Hip-hop rhythms and chopped vocals pan their way from one ear to the next as a mellow acid bass lines warp and wind through a perfectly layered collection of atmospheres. The dreamy, repetitive nature of the track is welcoming, impeccably setting the listener up for what’s to come.
Where “Law of Diminishing Returns” feels and sounds rooted on earth and within nature, the EP’s final track “Existence” encapsulates everything otherworldly. A skittering tap of the high hat echoes and pans while a dampened and thunderous kick punches intermittently. Soon enough, airy chords reverberate around your ears while melodic synths drift cosmically throughout. The deep swelling bassline brings everything together like a celestial glue, tying the entire composition together.
DOWNLOAD/STREAM ‘NEURO LOGIC’ NOW!
In the description of Neuro Logic, Image Nation inquires with his listener. “Whether you listen to these tracks alone in a relaxed personal environment, out in the hecticness of public, or deep in the beauty of nature, try to be conscious about the thoughts and images that are naturally flowing through your mind. How do you feel? What are you thinking about? What do you see?”
Personally, this EP took me from roots in the earth, through a winding trip in my brain, and out through the top of my head into what lies beyond. His intent was to guide the listener on a truly imaginary journey through sound and thought and, well, mission accomplished.
How did Neuro Logic, make you feel? What was your experience like? Tell us in the comments below!