Drawing heavily on ‘80s aesthetics, vaporwaver and self-dubbed dapat connoisseur Don Aaron has been steadily crafting his own synth-driven sonic identity since the solo project’s genesis in 2017. Aaron worked his way up from humble beginnings with a string of singles that eventually culminated in his 2019 full-length debut, F A C T S, an impressive effort that was entirely self-produced on GarageBand ‘09. Following standalone collaborations with Buvan and CHERIE SLAYN, Aaron returns with his sophomore record, FREEDOM?. Here, he ups the ante from its predecessor in pretty much every aspect - be it in songwriting, production, or overall cohesion.

Title track “FREEDOM?” captures its seductive spirit perfectly – arguably the best track on the album, it doesn't even take 10 seconds to hook listeners in with an instant boogie. Over sweet, sweet 909-esque drum sounds, Aaron’s vocal performance refreshingly recalls a potent mix of sultry Michael Hutchence and soulful Bryan Adams, crooning over dynamic buildups. As additional instrumentation enters in ways reminiscent of Gary Numan and Howard Jones, they become atmospheric accompaniments to Aaron’s refrain (“They’re living in your home / They’re living in your phone”). By focusing on texture instead of melodic motifs, these builds allow Aaron’s mesmerising vocal performance to shine. Clocking in just under two minutes, it seems to continue his conscious choice to pick quality over quantity.

Aaron's specialty is his ability to reel us in with catchy percussion sections, and its first two tracks continue with that streak, maintaining a 4/4 pulse with displaced phrasing, making you wonder how you’re still bobbing your head along to the music when there doesn’t seem to be anything telling you to. “SUPERFICIAL JANES TROMBONE SIS” sounds like a song off GTA: Vice City, as if cruising down a Miami freeway in a convertible. The best part of this short number is its ending, where Aaron resolves the track’s driving synth progressions, but lingers on just slightly upon its seamless transition.

Aaron finds a variety of ways to conjure his hypnotic atmospheres too. Of course, unstoppable grooves are his bread and butter: “ESP”, for example, segues into “ITS UR BODY” (check out our review of the single here), a short, tasty vaporwave number featuring trap-inspired hi-hat rhythms that are guaranteed to get you going. on On the transition to “UUUU”, moving feet and snapping fingers ensue: “You can have it all,” Aaron sings on an earworm chorus, before he unleashes stupefying 80s-inspired guitar shredding at its end, elevating the song to yet another level.

But other details shine too throughout the album’s tracklist. On cuts like “NINEGLOW (STAGE 2) / OCEAN SUITE (WORLD MINUS 1)”, he showcases some whimsical bass work, feeling like a slick amalgamation of Chris de Burgh, O.M.D. and Depeche Mode. With “LONELY DOVE”, Aaron exercises restraint to breathtaking results - an understated 34 seconds of blissful guitars that craft an atmospheric breather. Those stripped-down elements build into the subsequent “PANAMA GREY”, with enigmatic keys backed by infectious beatwork. Coloured by samples of news clips and typhoon reports, its energy is potently melancholic, leaving room for listeners to reflect on their own mortality. It almost seems as though Aaron leaves subliminal hints at nonlinear storytelling as well, with the third track “LOVELY DOVE” being able to seamlessly segue into “ESP” as well as it does “PANAMA GREY”. 

Another refreshing weapon surfaces on “TRANQUIL LISA”’s muted trumpets, which punctuates its whopping five-minute runtime, the longest track on the LP. Here, the track’s patchwork of oddly reassuring melodies, simple beatwork and understated guitars create chill vibes akin to enjoying sunsets on the beach, with a mocktail in hand. But just as it gets comfortable, Aaron throws listeners in for a loop, with the track’s instrumentation devolving into a trippy wall of dissonant sound, subverting all expectations in a left-field choice that yanks listeners out of the laid-back experience it initially established. The muted trumpets make a welcome return on “WE SEE THE GAMMA”, the final offering off FREEDOM?. Improvising solos and ad-libs over captivating guitar licks and driving basslines, Aaron adds a spontaneous dimension to its track, before he ends the song with his staple wall of sound. Although this outro’s use of modulated vocals felt jarring, I loved how Aaron resolved the track and the album as a whole - with a quick cut to silence at the very end.

Nothing however, is quite as mesmerising like highlight “ESCAPE FROM GRAPHICITY”. Sharing its epic buildup and soaring conclusion, it almost feels like a vaporwave reimagining of the Top Gun Anthem at times, opening with flanged beatwork and muted guitar riffs under a catchy synth motif. As Aaron builds layers of atmospheric texture it eventually crescendoes into a massive, cathartic finale, conjuring a track is perfect for pulling down highways on a high-speed motorcycle.

As a whole, I absolutely adored Don Aaron's latest full-length. In fact, its greatest flaw is that some of its amazing tracks simply didn’t feel long enough – perhaps Aaron’s intent was to give listeners just enough of a high on its tracks so that it leaves them wanting more. Nevertheless, Aaron poured his heart and soul into the LP, rendering FREEDOM? not only as a superb addition to not just our local vaporwave repertoire, but Singaporean music as a whole. Given the relatively niche nature of the genre it operates in, it could easily slip under the radar for most - but on quality alone, FREEDOM? is easily an instant classic.

You can also stream or purchase an expanded version of FREEDOM? on Bandcamp through Sunset Grid. It features bonus tracks absent from other streaming services, seamlessly spliced into the tracklist.

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