Deeply Woven Self-Titled EP Review – The Circle Pit
Deeply Woven EP – Track-by-Track Review
( By Kelly Phillips of Tapestry Music Podcast)
This is a stellar piece of instrumental music in a world cluttered with cookie-cutter Axe Fx djent hacks. While the band is obviously technically proficient at each of their instruments, they have succeeded in being delicate, amping up the technical riffs where necessary. This whole album seems to takes the listener on a short but wonderful journey, aiming to provide a floating sensation from track to track, and a very strong sense of motion.
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Overall I loved the electronic additions throughout which keep Deeply Woven interesting, like keys or marimba-esque sounds. I also think the prominent use of other audio to create texture is masterful and lush, particularly the weather sounds (wind; waves; rain)! They tie the music together in a way that does not feel hackneyed or overblown.
THE SKY’S LIMIT What a great start to the EP! I only wish it were longer. It has a great sense of dizzying motion. I feel like I’m on a sailboat or hang-gliding with this one. The guitar lines just soar.
MRAK ATTACK combines the best parts of Covet, CHON, and Animals As Leaders: chunky bass lines under bright, beachy tapping. The guitars are very well supported by the drums, which always feel tight and right in step with the melodies. I would love if the bass were mixed a little bit louder on this song, personally, but as the second track, this provides more than enough momentum into the whole of the album.
HOLOPORT, baby! This is my favorite track. It starts off like the soundtrack to a Crash Bandicoot level, sneaking in some jungle-themed synths, and explodes into a nasty bass riff. There are lots of cool string sounds going on in the background – not too many to feel cheesy; just enough to lend an extra layer of dimension. Holoport ends in a David Maxim Micic-fashion with a pleasant sax feature and additional orchestration to really send you sailing off into the next track.
WEATHERIA is just gorgeous. Perhaps hinting at the other tracks before it, Weatheria begins with some crashing waves to build some aural texture, and then breaks out into full-bodied guitar scales with meaty bass beneath. The build-up and positioning of the guitars against one another reminds me of Mestís. There’s a strong hemiola feel on the drums midway through, which gives the track a stagger-step feel, yet the piano and softer sounds throughout bring it down from just being a shredfest the whole time.
CHIRALITY makes me feel like I’m on a rocket ship which is slowly being launched into outer space, only to finally have the hatch open at around 4 minutes in. Peaceful, reverb-y guitar tones give your ears a slow, thoughtful ascension. The ‘slow burning’ somber chords lead up to some beautiful almost ‘bell tones’ in the guitar lines, kind of bright and vibrant, a la Scale The Summit. Chirality is a little bit slow for my liking, but I think it’s necessary to balance out the rest of the EP. The payoff at the end is worth the steady journey.
GHOST is probably the most generic of the tracks on Deeply Woven, yet it has a strong Intervals vibe. However, this scaling back feels like a necessary grounding for the album based on the previous track. There are enough tasty tidbits to keep your ear interested. There is nice interplay between all elements of the song, and as you feel the end of the album approaching, Ghost helps you land on your feet softly with its tender chords and rainy outro.
All in all, this is an impressive offering from a band that hopefully will make appropriate waves in the progressive instrumental scene!
Kelly Phillips (Tapestry Music Podcast)
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