Christoph Pedretti – Run Into It
Christoph Pedretti – Run Into It – EP Review
Now here’s a name you’re gonna wanna get real familiar with – Christoph Pedretti.
Every so often in this critical realm of music that I’m livin’ in, I’m fortunate enough to stumble upon the occasional artist or band that just gets it, know what I mean? I put on the Run Into It EP from Pedretti, and simply marveled at the undeniably smooth digital grooves and stunning degree of accessibility. Don’t get me wrong – as I’ve stated many times throughout the years on these pages of ours, I quite often enjoy a challenge when it comes to what I choose to listen to – but the flipside of that coin is that it can be incredibly awesome to hear music that instantly dives deep into your ears with zero resistance too. Christoph has made a record chockfull of universally accessible vibes with Run Into It – it’s the kind of set that I’d be way more surprised to hear someone didn’t like it, than the millions that are bound to love what they discover. Like I was saying – this dude clearly gets it…from the production to the design, to the enticing sound & clever ideas you’ll find within each tune, he’s got himself a fully flawless EP here.
What makes finding something like this even more fun, is that it appears to be Christoph’s debut. I listen to a record like Run Into It and not only love every second of what I hear, but the wheels in my head instantly start turning as I think about the sheer potential for where he’ll be able to go from here with his music as his career continues on. I’ll tell ya this much for certain folks – if Pedretti continues to put this much attention to detail into everything he does, he could be making his music for a lifetime. This is the kind of professionalism & accessibility that leads directly to longevity – mark my words y’all.
Or better yet, prove it to yourself! Put on Run Into It, fire up that first track “Annata,” and allow that sweet melody and powerful definition in his digital sound to convince ya – trust me, you don’t need any of my words to sell this record to ya after you push play. As “Annata” began, I was wondering if we’d be heading into something like Massive Attack for a moment…then once I realized we were in instrumental territory, I felt like it was something that was more akin to vibes you’d find in Linus Loves, or LoFi Chill – but no matter how ya slice it or what you compare it to, I can guarantee you’ll dig what you discover. The production is spot on, the melodic & jazzy grooves are brilliant, the ideas are lively & radiant – and that low-end will hit ya like a punch you actually want to receive! Essentially, everything stands out right from the get-go, and “Annata” proves to be as engaging and enticing as a gateway into a record could ever be. If you dig your Electro-based grooves…I’m tellin’ ya…you’ll put on “Annata” and realize within a minute’s time that there’s no looking back – you’ll strap right in for the ride through Run Into It for sure.
You listen to a track like “True Self” and realize that some of the greatest of the greats like Prefuse 73, Boards Of Canada, or even the earliest records by The Album Leaf would make for solid comparisons to what you’ll hear – all names that put Christoph among some extremely amazing, highly-skilled company. There’s not a name that I’ve cited in comparison so far that hasn’t been living on my personal playlists for a decade or more, and I have all the intentions and plans of listening to Run Into It for many, many years to follow. While I know much of this would seem like hyperbole, I assure ya, it’s not; as I’ve told ya many times, it wouldn’t do me any good whatsoever to claim something so far-fetched and then have readers click & listen to find something totally different than what I’ve been tellin’ ya – so take it to heart dear readers, dear friends – I’m givin’ ya the gospel just like I have been since this site first began. If I had any notes for Christoph, believe me, I’d be the first dude to tell him what I think could be improved like I’ve done for thousands of artists & bands throughout the years…but this is not the kind of record that reveals any cracks, or art that needs any kind of advice. All Pedretti needs to do is to keep up the level of creativity and dedication he’s put into this EP, and the man is gonna be just fine. “True Self” is another cut that reveals Christoph’s natural gift for finding the right synthetic sounds – the drums he uses are exceptional, the melodic synth tones he uses are great, his use of low-end grooves is impeccable, and overall, he nails his music with surgical precision when considering the full composition.
A track like “Heads Up” is pretty much destined to be a lead single. Admittedly, there’s a bit less accessibility in parts of this track than perhaps most of what you’ll find in the first three as Christoph switches things up for a more laidback, mysterious, and curious vibe in pieces of “Heads Up” along the way – but everything serves a purpose. While it might appear he’s going for a mellower song this time around, freakin’ brace yourselves y’all, because it’s really what sets up the main low-end hook to land as perfectly as it does, and gives it the opportunity to make the biggest impact it can on ya. When it goes off, the payload is completely there – “Heads Up” detonates brilliantly, and ensures everyone listening is gonna FEEL that main hook without hesitation. I like that this track gives you a bit of a mix in terms of showing us a little more of Pedretti’s exploratory side as well, but that it still circles back to a mastery of the art of accessibility when it comes to the main meat of the song. In my opinion, “Heads Up” is one of the easiest tracks to get behind when it comes to deciding whether or not people are gonna like it – it might have more of an experimental aspect to it in some spots, but right where you wanna find its real strengths, it delivers perfectly and powerfully. To me, tracks like “Heads Up” are a whole lot of FUN in general…I like the fact that we get such a surprising switch after the serenity you’ll find in the first minute-plus of this track, and that when Christoph is ready to get down to business, he’s got such an incredible hook, that everyone within its vicinity would stop everything they’re doing to listen closely.
That being said, I definitely think there’s a strong argument that could be made on behalf of just about every cut on this EP when it comes to what would make the perfect single. I listen to “Heavy As Hell” and feel like there’s a significant amount of seriously enticing stuff goin’ on that would be guaranteed to get the people’s attention. Not sure if you’d consider it to be the verses or the chorus this time around, or if that even really matters all that much when it comes to instrumental tunes I suppose, but no matter which part of the structure you’ll determine it to be when you listen, I’m sure we can all agree that it’s the main hook, once again brilliantly supplied by the low end. I like a lot of the elements that Christoph creates to play around it, or use as a solo sound on top of it all – but if we’re talking about the main meat & potatoes of what’s gonna bring us back each and every time, it is undoubtedly supplied by the low-end grooves this dude is rockin’ with in each of his tunes. Like…I really dig the atmospheric way that “Heavy As Hell” starts out for example…I dig the spread out sound, I dig the drums & the electro stuff he’s got goin’ on too – but if we’re talkin’ about sheer sonic impact, once we hit that fifty-five second mark, there’s simply no beating a moment like that. Pedretti does a great job of not only mixing things up in terms of showing us one thing at the start & switching up his vibes into something altogether different later on, but what he chooses to use with his low-end synth sounds is nothing short of remarkable every time. Credit where credit is due though – he gives the groove of “Heavy As Hell” a real run for its money with the synth solo he adds in around the 2:45-3:35 mark – that’s awesome too.
As far as this bulletproof lineup of songs goes, “Devolution” is probably the track that I’d be anywhere closest to the fence about, and I pretty much still love every second of it if I’m being truthful with ya. I suppose it feels a bit closer to things I’ve heard with the Electro realm more-so than the others do, but that doesn’t at all mean I ain’t gonna willingly take more of a good thing when it comes my way! You bet I will – I’m here for it – bring on the “Devolution” I say! This is the cut where I’d say that Pedretti’s synth work & solos might even stand out a bit more for the technique & skill he’s supplying – I just think that the main hooks of “Devolution” don’t quite stand out as strongly as the ones we’ve heard along the way. Again, that ain’t a bad thing whatsoever – in fact, it gives “Devolution” a bit of a different vibe in comparison to the rest of the set-list while feeling cohesive enough where including it still makes sense. It’s more of a laidback & chilled-out moment overall I suppose…I guess that’s what I’m saying. Though, if you’re judging by the colorful way the synths in this tune create such a kaleidoscopic collage of sound in the middle of it all, you’d have to acknowledge just how much is actually going on. That’s the sign of real control on a professional level if you ask me…like – listen to the solo around the 2:30 mark going forward for example – Christoph is crushin’ it with ingenuity, innovation, and involved artistic flair – and yet, it still feels like “Devolution” is an undeniably relaxing track to experience all-around, despite all that’s really going on. Dude should be proud of that! The low-end we love from Pedretti is still present too – but like I said, it’s just not the main defining aspect of this particular track when it comes to what’ll get you coming back to it. Don’t get it twisted though y’all…I love what I’m hearing on “Devolution” too, and I’d go as far as to say that Christoph has essentially created a seamless set of five flawless tunes that flow brilliantly from start to finish on Run Into It. Where a track like “Annata” might become a favorite for the first impression it creates, or tracks like “Heavy As Hell” & “Heads Up” might be totally addictive for the main hooks they possess, or “True Self” sparkles and shines for its atmospheric authenticity – a song like “Devolution” stands just as much chance of being your favorite as well from the way that Pedretti switches up his style just enough to make this chilled out final cut stand out for completely separate reasons too. The bottom line is, he’s put himself in an incredible position to secure a victory with listeners out there, track after track, and absolutely delivered a remarkable debut with Run Into It.
Find music by Christoph Pedretti through this multi-link here: https://artists.landr.com/055120507908
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