Planets - Stratøs (Album Review)
Jazz is a staple sound of American music culture, from its earliest developments in the 20th century to the various interpretations and preservations of the art form that dot the music landscape. While decades of iterations on the genre make for a more nuanced conversation, artists like Nicholas Payton have begun using the term “Black American Music” to explain how jazz has evolved beyond it’s more traditional marketing terminology to encompass all sorts of black music styles from hip hop to funk to neo soul, all while continuing to build on the vocabulary of past artists like Miles Davis or John Coltrane. The range of influences that go into modern artistry are clear, and it makes for some truly inspiring works of art that speak volumes to the personalities behind it. One such creator, Stratøs, is the perfect storm of everything that was just outlined above: he is a Masters recipient from WMU’s School of Music as a jazz artist, a proficient performer on saxophone and EWI, a multiple-award-winning composer and arranger, and an artist that delights in exploring the depths of his soul while drawing from a deep well of past masters and current music innovators. Recently, he released his latest album, Planets, and performed a release show at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, a venue oozing with creative energy from some of the world’s finest performers. The record is an entire sonic galaxy, with each track functionally named after objects in our solar system while also being inspired by Gustav Holst’s iconic symphonic suite, The Planets. There isn’t an ounce of wasted space, from the aesthetic choices around the theme to select guest musicians adding to the community of artists surrounding this singular vision. It was a delight to listen to this record, and it is one of my personal favorites of 2021, local to Michigan or otherwise!
The first sounds are reminiscent of growing up with retro video games, fiddling with game cartridges and blowing air into them to get them working. This track, “Mercury,” then kicks into action with programmed instrumentals, complete with frenetic, arpeggiated 8-bit synthesizer sounds swirling around punctuated hits in a groove fit for a classic game soundtrack. It is playful and captures a brief moment of character before moving on to “Venus,” a beautiful work of arranging around Alex Mansour’s piano playing that interacts with Stratøs’ own saxophone playing. The tapestry of textures expands to include lush harmonies from an accompanying string quartet, capturing the beauty often ascribed to the mythological goddess of the same name. The piano continues into an interlude called “Luna,” showcasing how fluid this record moves between styles and emotions. The last moments of this interlude are then utilized in the backing loop that supports rapper Santino Jones on the track “Earth,” blending laid back drum grooves, soloist Yakiv Tsvietinskyi’s beautiful melodic trumpet improvisations, and textures that lean into the classical music tradition. The shift into “Mars'' begins with a low drone of voices, colored by guest artist David Binney’s dissonant and frenzied saxophone lines. The tune then introduces a heavy, war-like metal-fusion backing band enhanced by Holst-inspired horn/wind sounds from Yakiv and Walter Cano. Patrick Arthur (guitar), Daniel Durst (bass), and Abel Tabares (drums) do an incredible job holding down the difficult syncopated rhythms while driving the energy behind David Binney’s soloing, creating such a primal tune oozing with raw energy.
“Jupiter” plays around with some wonderful ear candy: syncopated synth hits, a straight and driving drum groove, virtuosic saxophone lines, and washy pads, with Julia Moffa’s vocal lines tying everything together. There is room in the tune for reverb/delay-filled saxophones overtop a thumping kick drum, building back towards the full ensemble with more wonderfully placed vocal melodies. Recognizing the intensity of the last few tunes, the next number, “Saturn,” relaxes with a winding acoustic line provided by Patrick Arthur, drums and cajon provided by fellow WMU alumni Josiah DeNooyer and Daniel Gayden, and masterful upright bass lines by guest artist John Hebert. It feels like watching a field of flowers blooming, delighting in the little moments and sinking into the warm, summery vibes. “Uranus'' leans more into the whimsical while still demonstrating the range of Stratøs’ sound with sampled photography sounds (no doubt from his sample pack, available on his website) and centering around a whistling melody line harmonized by saxophones, which is reminiscent of tunes like “When You Love Someone” by Jim Alxndr. A stomping synth bass line underneath adds to the “head nod factor” of this track, letting you move to the beat while you laugh with delight at such a fun blend of sounds, and the added saxophone talents of Kyle James (alto sax), Alekos Syropoulos (alto sax), and Andrew Rathbun (tenor sax), who also taught Eddie at WMU . “Neptune '' once again features Julia Moffa on vocals with the additional drumming sounds of Madison George (WMU Alumni, Earth Radio, Nashville artist). This spacey, modern fusion composition showcases Stratøs‘ chops on EWI, from his effortless technique and execution of improvisatory ideas to the varied sculpted synth sounds that cut through the mix. To close such a diverse and methodical journey, Planets ends with “Pluto (Elegy for Richard),” which includes Alex Mansour (piano) and Daniel Durst (bass) with yet another guest drummer, Christian McGhee, in a beautifully hypnotic ballad. Stratøs‘ flute playing is featured, throwing one more sound and skill set at the listener before they are gently ushered back into their respective worlds, touching down from a truly memorable experience exploring the cosmos.
Planets is a work truly unique to listeners of any background, forming from years of experimentation and deliberate choices in arranging, guest musician choices, and past/present influences sharpened by the skilled artistry of a stellar creative force. It executes a concept in such spectacular fashion and begs to be revisited, because each planet has its own memory attached, much like a photo album isn’t just what’s inside the frame, but the emotions and life events that are sparked from it. There is a patience to this record that cannot be denied, from the years of gestation to the hours spent crafting, re-working, re-writing, demoing, and dictating every sound in this universe. If Planets is your first time experiencing the artistry behind Stratøs, know that this is only the beginning of many more years of powerful, Black American artistry that stands tall among the giants.
Support Stratøs!
Website: stratostones.com
Bandcamp: https://stratosmusic.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/stratostones/
Twitter: twitter.com/stratostones
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCoODhMOrJxGh7Q-c8awaA4w
Print Shop: stratos.darkroom.tech
Album Credits (from Bandcamp):
"Planets" is the debut LP by saxophonist, composer, producer, and film photographer Stratøs. The album is the amalgamation of the producer’s diverse musical identities. Reaching from the visceral, distorted sounds and grooves of the death metal world to the serene soundscapes akin to Hayao Miyazaki film scores, Planets seeks to connect a narrative throughline between these juxtaposing elements.
Stratøs' previous project, "DiE," was an experiment conducted during the beginning stages of the 2020 pandemic that focused on isolation. "Planets" takes a differing approach and includes many of the producer's closest friends and mentors. This album is the apex of the producer's past five or so years of experimentation with the combining of the aforementioned musical styles in addition to jazz, hip hop, electronic, and classical music.
The idea of giving musical form to the planets of our solar system is famously credited to early 20th century composer Gustav Holst for his seven-movement suite "The Planets." In an attempt to recognize this lineage while simultaneously establishing his own artistic voice, Stratøs pays homage to Holst on one track from the album. The producer's own "Mars" takes the iconic melody from Holst's "Mars, The Bringer of War," and casts it in a new light colored by the sounds and textures of the death metal genre.
"Planets" was made possible by the several artists who shared their time, energy, and love for music.
released October 1, 2021
Stratøs // composition, engineering, woodwinds, EWI, vocals, production, mixing
featuring:
Julia Moffa // vocals, lyrics, // track 06, track 09
Santino Jones // vocals, lyrics // track 04
Yakiv Tsvietinskyi // trumpet, trombone // track 04, track 05
Walter Cano // horn, euphonium // track 05
David Binney // alto saxophone // track 05
Alekos Syropoulos // alto saxophone // track 08
Kyle James // alto saxophone // track 08
Andrew Rathbun // tenor saxophone // track 08
Patrick Arthur // guitar // track 05, track 07
Alex Mansour // piano, cello // track 02, track 03, track 10
John Hébert // upright bass // track 07
Daniel Durst // bass guitar, upright bass // track 05, track 09, track 10
Josiah Denooyer // drums // track 07
Daniel Gayden // cajon // track 07
Abel Tabares // drums // track 05
Madison George // drums // track 09
Christian McGhee // drums // track 10
Samuel Peters // engineering (vocals, track 04) // mastering
Maria Galvan Cobo // album artwork
All music composed and arranged by Stratøs (ASCAP).
