Head In The Clouds: Vol. 14

Straight off the bat, I’m fully aware that this is cheating. Put simply, as much as I’ve scoured soundcloud, there’s been one EP that I’ve returned to time and time again over the last month. Rather than force words where I have none, for Head In The Clouds Vol. 14 I’ve decided to focus solely on Phoria’s Display EP.

Display is Phoria’s third EP and it’s remarkable in its agility. Consisting of four tracks, it manages to trace the full scope of human emotion. ‘Emanate’ opens the EP, with muffled murmurings and clipping beats. Vocals filter through, providing the track with an almost hymnal undertone. The track builds and builds before an all encompassing synth fills the previously sparsely occupied spaces at the three minute mark. It’s pulsating, volatile, euphoric and exhilarating.

While ‘Undone’ and ‘Atomic’ are both tracks with their individual merits (with ‘Atomic’ in particular easily mistaken for Radiohead in their In Rainbows pomp), it’s the album closer ‘Efforttobreathe’ that truly demonstrates Phoria’s ability as musical craftsmen. A drowsy affair, once again based around a hummed vocal refrain, it’s as close as music can come to an opiate. Even the addition of growling synths fails to detract from the songs soothing and haunting character.

Display EP manages to fluctuate between euphoric climax and deep melancholy within the space of 4 relatively short tracks. Few EPs are able to channel such a vast range of emotions in such a short space of time. Check it out below.

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