With softly played melodies and low-slung analogue-sounding bass, Universal Angel has a dream-like quality to it from the get go.
Fuzzy synths, low-key percussion and a wonderful vocal from Maddie Ashman create an other-worldly feel. As the song descends into the bridge — a hushed, glitchy section where the music almost seems to stop entirely — Universal Angel manages to nurture a sense of yearning. The abundance of space, and the confidence in the time the song takes, mean that when Ashman’s vocal comes back in, sliding across appropriately angelic melodic notes, it is the aural equivalent of a balm.
Guava is Berlin-based producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist Bradley Hutchings. Currently gearing up for his debut LP, Hutchings is set to release the album, titled Out Of Nowhere, via his own imprint, Guava Noise, on October 27. The album sees Hutchings draw on the themes of bittersweet romance, isolation, and yearning, knitted together with elements of shoegaze, breakbeat and electronica. Describing the album, the artist says:
“I can only talk a little about where this album came from. It's tough to intellectualise what happened. I was going through a lot, but also, by that stage, I had started meditating. I've been practising transcendental meditation for years, allowing me to accept who I am and my creative impulses. Leaning into my strengths, but also embracing my shortcomings. I got to a point where I just said, ‘it's time – I'm going to do this’. And whatever comes out, comes out. What I have learnt from all those tours as a session musician and what I have gained from my friends and collaborators is what you hear.”
Check out Universal Angel below, and look out for Out Of Nowhere next month.