Stillhead - Iceberg

Stillhead
Iceberg
2016
Spotify

Chilly, though quite the pun, may be the most apt way to describe the new album from Producer Stillhead Iceberg. The mood is quite down tempo, brooding at times but always with a bend towards the ambient. There is layer upon layer of sound on this record creating complex soundscapes that much like their namesake suggests float along lonely wandering the world. There is an unrushed feeling to the music, like Stillhead plans to take his time in telling this story rather than force it out. Some of the tracks like "Don't Think at All" feature spoken words in a more interview style than rhythmic prose on top of what really is some beautifully ambient music. Stillhead likes to keep you on your toes though, throwing in the occasional crescendo or switching the pace to liven things up. But greater than all is the feeling he evokes from this record. The loneliness and the stillness are tantamount but not in a negative way more in the kind of reflection that comes from self introspection. The two tracks featuring Mu Vonz have him "rapping" but it really is more of poetry due to it's slow pace and focus on message rather than style. His monotone speech can become a bit transfixing sucking you in and before you realize it's gone.

The real standouts on the record are the ones that edge closer to the pop side of things. "Vast Expanse" and "You Can See" feature a female voice and it adds a great deal more relatability. Instead of music in the background it becomes something you can get a hold of and deal with, though don't expect any of this music to really get your body moving. This is more about crafting a scene, painting a picture with music than it is making something that people can get deep into a groove with. The tone Stillhead is able to accomplish however is mesmerizing. Every note is so clear and so well placed that you have to applaud the sheer force that was able to compile this together. While Enya and others may have the market cornered when it comes to the ambient genre, it is this type of sound that is really pushing the genre forward and exploring what it is and can be. Iceberg is a chilling look at our own being, but not with each other more a look at our own reflection. A really well done album and one worth your time.

7.3 out of 10