Arcane-Gel – “Eidolon” / “Apron Strings”
Arcane-Gel – “Eidolon” / “Apron Strings” – Singles Review
Highly interesting stuff goin’ on here.
As I pushed play on “Eidolon,” which is the first track from Arcane-Gel’s new album called Pareidolia, and made my way into it, I was quickly convinced that there’s something special to be found in this duo, even if I wasn’t sure I could completely pinpoint what that IS. Right off the drop, I was like, okay, we’ve got another Ren here…and believe me, I’d be totally cool with that if that’s what Arcane-Gel was, but it felt like there was so much more to it than that. Like…there’s a mischievous vibe here in “Eidolon” that reminded me a bit of early Chili Peppers…but then as they hit the harmonies & layers of the vocals, I felt like it was way more comparable to the Faith No More side of that argument. And what about stuff like the mysterious/dangerous atmosphere hanging in the air that would recall a massive hit like “No Handlebars” from Flobots…or the deadly-meets-desolate sound of the guitar, which actually leans a lot more towards something you’d expect to hear on Aerosmith’s “Dream On” – or how the vocals seem like they could easily bust out into something stylistically versatile like Stormzy, OR freakin’ explosive like Hed P.E. at any given moment? Talk about hybrid sound! Arcane-Gel is the sum of all these acts that have come before them, and unlike any of them at all at the same time…you gotta love it. I’m sure most folks will leave it at Ren and call it a day, which is indeed both a great comparison & a fair one too – but it felt like this Alt Hip-Hop duo had already found a way to build on that concept & continue to expand its potential & possibilities. The lyrical aspect of Arcane-Gel is undoubtedly going to make an impact on most listeners out there, and rightly so – you’ll listen to a track like “Eidolon” and recognize there’s substantial content to be absorbed here. As in, it’s not just an endlessly impressive string of random words strung together, but a tale that feels like it’s built on a multi-layered stream of consciousness that expertly entwines its ideas instead. You immediately feel the weight of “Eidolon” before the first twenty seconds are even finished, and Arcane-Gel continues to wax lyrically on all kinds of thought-provoking subjects from religion to our politics, and just about everything about the restricting constraints of being human to be found caught in the crossfire. The attention to detail is there, and credit where credit is due, they clearly know the material they’re working with inside & out and give you a remarkably prepared performance that moves seamless & shifts insightfully with every twist & turn you’ll find supplied by the music. Is there anything I’d pick on, or think they could improve? Honestly, I’m not even sure. I had moments here and there where I wondered about whether or not they got the mix completely right or found the balance of power between the music & vocals that got the most out of “Eidolon” – but to be truthful, when I thought about what I might adjust to make it any better than it already is, I wasn’t sure any adjustments could really be made without affecting the rest of what works out so well. Like, for instance, I thought maybe if some elements in the music came up a bit more, or the vocals sunk in to the music just a bit more than they are instead of being the most noticeable aspect at the top of “Eidolon” than maybe that could work out to their benefit…but I think I’m really just splitting hairs. “Eidolon” has so many damn great things goin’ on as it stands already, that I think anyone would be crazy to think they could tinker with it & somehow get an ounce more out of it than Arcane-Gel has already revealed to us. For as many comparisons as I’ve made, this opening track to Pareidolia is powerfully potent, and it’s audibly unique.
I’d say the majority of what I had to say about the sound of Arcane-Gel still applies to a song like “Apron Strings,” which should give y’all some real hope about the record in general, given that this second cut is found all the way down at track ten. I’m pretty sure anyone listening to “Eidolon” would realize there’s going to be profound & poetic content driving a record like this one – and if anything, it’s tracks like “Apron Strings” that confirm it. Where I felt like “Eidolon” really has the advantage of hitting you with the significant impact that a first impression should – I felt just as strongly about the main hook of “Apron Strings” being the kind of sound that’ll grow on people exponentially day by day. Don’t get me wrong, there’s more than enough to keep me interested in the content of the verses to begin with – there’s clearly a lyrical genius in the core of this duo – but yeah…it was the chorus that ended up being the most impressive part to me. First of all, I love how they really listen to how the music moves and design their vocals to interact with it as brilliantly as they do…that’s the part that’s super apparent to me and has been no matter which of these tracks I’ve been listening to. The chorus though, has this like, all-encompassing vibe to it…not entirely polished, a little raw, heck, maybe arguably even a little strained or stretched to meet the melody even…but it WORKS. Not only does it work, but it becomes massively more addictive than you’ll give it credit for on those first couple spins, and it’ll continue to consume your gravity until you’re spinning this song over and over. Is a track like “Apron Strings” possibly going to get some of the same criticisms like someone like Ren would get? Sure! When you’re listening to the verses of “Apron Strings,” I’m not so sure that we don’t go too far with the drama to the point where it meets melodrama…and that might be a bit of a concern – but personally, I dig how into it all that Arcane-Gel is and the high degrees of expressionism they incorporate into their ideas. Alt Hip-Hop has so much room to flex its artistic muscles and show how different it can be from anything else that’s out there, and it felt like “Apron Strings” was a stellar example of all that in action. It’s not bombastic, it’s not anything too over the top…it’s actually fairly chill underneath the surface, with highly controlled & stylistic music being the bedrock of steadiness in a cut like this, which allows the vocals to supply most of its intensity.
Maybe that’s what it was…that thing I was trying to figure out before about the mix…the music is played in such an understated way, and considering how brilliant it is, I just don’t want that aspect to be lost on listeners, even though I recognize that Hip-Hop music is always going to make the words the number one priority, and rightfully so it should. It’s all very highly contemplative and considered, and believe me, I’ve got a lot of love for what I’ve heard here in both tracks. I suppose what I’m saying is that it’s easy to hear how much personality they’ve got on the mic – but make sure that you don’t go missing out on what Arcane-Gel brings to their music as well.
Find more music by Arcane-Gel at Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3szTwVrIPUcBtsvCm77pTJ
HEY YOU! YES YOU! You – the person reading this RIGHT NOW! Instead of emailing us to find out how you could be the next up on our pages at sleepingbagstudios and waiting days for our response – just click here will ya!?!
