A tapestry is a form of textile art which has multiple pieces of cloth sewn together. The front is put together to form an aesthetic scenery and the back has hidden all the threads that holds it together. In many ways, it is the coming together of disparate elements to form one synchronous piece of art. In this respect, the name of flux vortex’s debut EP is a perfect description of his creation.
Tapestry is the debut EP of New Delhi based producer, flux vortex, offering a window into his densely layered sound. Shifting playfully between the gritty dubwise of an echoing past and the broken beats of a present shattered by crises. Tapestry is imbued with the vision of nativistic futurism, one that has been threaded by his travels and the sounds recorded within.
flux vortex has been a man very much on the scene. With those who wish to produce, he’s been a super-patient supporter. Every once in a while he would release a single or collaborate with an artist. Every single time though, his work has stood out for its unique sound. His debut EP shows exactly how much he has evolved over the last 4 years since he actively started producing.
In producing music, one of the most important things to consider is the mood that you want the listener to transport to. With Tapestry, that could be anywhere. Whether it is in the tropical rainforests of Jamaica or your couch at home. Perhaps the idea of his EP is that of a global tapestry. It includes forgotten field recordings from around the country on ‘Population Scramble’ and ‘Youth’, to samples of visionary Jamaican poet, Matubaruka, comparing international arms race to an ugly expression of masculine phallic might (‘Warmongerer’).
In his personal journey, flux vortex has come what seems like a long way from being interested in IDM to Bass Music. The influence of his cerebral self that drew him towards IDM is apparent even in Tapestry. It is rare, and slightly morbid, to find samples of a baby’s laughter (or cry) interwoven with a landscape of bass and synth sounds as he does in Population Scramble. Yet, it doesn’t feel out of place as it would were it not thought through. Breath Song is quite literally a breath of almost positive emotions after the dark sojourn of the tracks before it. The EP ends with ‘Youth’, a song which in contrast to the rest of the album has a slightly upbeat feeling to it, especially towards the end.
Perhaps, what stands out in the EP is flux vortex’s capability to balance bass elements and synth sounds. In his own work, since he started playing with synths, he’s seen a shift from focusing on the DAW to being more performative. In the past, he’s performed at events across the country, including Locals DISTRICT earlier this year. While we’re all stuck at home for a little while longer, it will be interesting to see how flux vortex’s sound evolves and translates to live performances in the future.
