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Tracklist:
1. Mean Sound
2. Vetted
3. Mean Sound (Strategy Remix)
4. Mean Sound (Slight Return)
The experimental beat making of Gulls, aka Jesse Munro Johnson, is a force
to be reckoned with. Based out of Portland, Oregon, his electronic adventures
are patiently psychedelic, masterfully composed, and brimming with
the earnestness of an artist whose music is designed to yell “this is NOW!” After 7 years of bold experimental evolution, Gulls has truly found his stride
in a new self-titled EP, co-released by BOOMARM NATION (www.boomarmnation.com) in a limited pressing of 300 records and digitally by Community
Library.
Gulls is a solo mission. Every track is built entirely from the ground up.
Johnson samples only himself, cutting up and rearranging myriad textures - horns, synthesizers, etc. - into dazzling kaleidoscopic formations. A densely
woven tapestry of sound, the listening experience is not the simplest to articulate.Yet we can begin to pull at the strands, to see what exuberant stars
and hungry black holes make up this immense electronic cosmos. Gulls’ compositional discipline reveals an interest in classical minimalists like Philip
Glass as well as the polyrhythmic intensity reminiscent of traditional West
African and Brazilian music.While informed by a scholarly interest in music
across genre and location, the project is rooted fi rmly within club culture.As a dance fl oor maestro, Gulls takes cues from early dub, dancehall, and sound
system culture, blowing basic pieces of music into astronomical proportions,
into mammoth versions with their own savage lives. As even the forefront
of today’s electronic music scene fi nds itself compartmentalized by genre
and sub-genre, the boundary-less compositional voice and healthy swagger
of Gulls is thrilling.The EP also features KRANKY recording artist and sonic
voyageur Strategy, whose remix of “Mean Sound” blasts things into another
galaxy entirely. While his artistic work thrives on individuality and a strong sense of self reliance, Johnson is a fervent nurturer of Portland’s sonic community.By
curating live events and maintaining the music blog BOOMARM NATION, he seeks to expose and promote forward thinking music.He has also been in
a number of important local groups including ComLib’s own Evolutionary Jass Band. This Gulls offering represents BOOMARM NATION’s first in a limited
series of 12” EPs highlighting Portland’s progressive musical liberators.
PDF Version of Promo Sheet
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