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'Radiance' – Versylen (SBA #018)

Following on from the ‘Final’ album by Bagaski, See Blue Audio is pleased to welcome another new artist to its roster for the label’s eighteenth release. This time we head back to the UK with Versylen and his five-track collection ‘Radiance’.

Versylen – there is no significance to the name – is the musical alias of Elliot Ferguson, a young producer who collaborated with f5point6 on the track ‘Tetrahedron of Forever’, part of the latter’s ‘KaleidoSound: Time, Shape & Space Vol. 1’ album, which was released on See Blue Audio at the end of 2020. With its complex beats and rich washes of sound, it was one of the highlights of the album, so it was only natural that a solo Versylen project would follow.

Elliot’s reason for immersing himself in music production is simple: he became so enthralled with the music he was listening to that he wanted to make his own. Artists that particularly inspired him include Sango, Sam Gellaitry and Flying Lotus, all electronic musicians who combine accomplished production techniques with strong aesthetic sensibilities. The same can be said of Elliot.

A perfectionist at heart, he has taken his time to fully develop his sound and studio skills. This has come to fruition with ‘Radiance’ and a series of short but perfectly formed tracks. Into these he packs a wealth of ideas, influences and inspirations.

The title track opens the collection and the fittingly entitled ‘Radiance’ fuses ambient sounds with Elliot’s trademark intricate percussion. The longer ‘Senegal’ follows with a gloriously rolling groove complemented by early house style synths and vocal effects. It’s a timely reminder of the universal qualities that underpin electronic music. Yet again, Elliot shows his mastery with beats.

‘Temple of Marici’ is next and this short audio vignette maintains the See Blue Audio principle of each release containing at least one beatless track or remix. On ‘Paradigm’, Elliot moves into post-dubstep territory with its deep bass notes and glitchy percussion before the more melancholy tones of ‘La Seine’ closes the collection. The beats remain but the mood is more reflective, and the ever-changing layers of sound create a mood of deeply introspective ambience.

‘Radiance’ is a polished introduction to the world of Versylen, but one imbued with emotion and spiritual nuances. As the name and track titles suggest, there’s also an esoteric quality at work that reaches beyond the sometimes narrow parameters of the electronic scene. For Versylen, this is surely just one step in his musical explorations.

Photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.