Wovensound : Sickleberry Sunsets
Wovensound
(feat. Ihasamic!, SHAK, Raina Sum, & Andrew Marko)
Sickleberry Sunsets
Wovensound is the unexpected hip-hop and beatmaking project of Vinod Dass, birthed during the circuit breaker quarantine earlier this year. Although best known as the guitarist for metal bands such as Mucus Mortuary, Dass flexes his chops on Sickleberry Sunsets as a producer, proving his skills in a tasteful tribute to sounds pioneered by famed beatsmiths Nujabes and J Dilla. The track is a crowded one, featuring Ihasamic!, SHAK, Raina Sum, and Andrew Marko – but they all somehow come together in a way where none of the artists feel like they outstay their welcome. Featuring an impressively genuine reverence to its lo-fi influences, the alchemy between its jazzy samples and beats makes Sickleberry Sunsets feel truly alive, with an organic quality that radiates through its alternating hi-hat patterns, snares, and claps.
The track’s lyrics seem to be an exploration of the dichotomy between optimism and pragmatism, with each artist pivoting the track towards their own unique lenses and varied perspectives on every turn. SHAK’s soulful voice reverberates on the chorus in an assured acceptance of how things are, beckoning the listener to join him in seeing the beauty in a life that just is. (“Ride slow to this music it’s music to my ears/ Will not refute it/ I’m jumping cities on the backseats of reality/ Come see the sunset with me”).
The first verse that follows by Ihasamic! is then a clever delve into the complicated process of having faith in the process, (“Trust it/ The process as gruelling as it is rewarding/ The excess piled over one another overcrowding“) or a higher power (“Change plant change/ Call whatever for rain call for cease fires call me up/ And call for daddies in the sky”). Ending on an open-ended note, the verse never quite reveals if Ihasamic!’s faith was actually rewarded, which ironically manages to challenge the listener to have enough faith to form their own conclusions. Finally, Raina Sum’s pre-choruses powerfully grapple with the ideas of existentialism and death in a relatable, succinct, refrain. (“I’m not ready to go/ Yet I’ve so much to accomplish/ What will I amount to, I see no future”) It’s simple, yet elegantly relatable, perfect for leading into SHAK’s chorus sections.
Andrew Marko takes the reins on the track’s last verse, with an effortlessly rhythmic flow and cadence. Marko raps of the conflict between practicing restraint and taking action (“But I’m standing here just caught up in a chokehold./ You can’t be shouting/ You can’t be silent/ But mama always said to choose/ Love over violence”). Yet, he isn’t afraid of sprinkling a cheeky line or two at the beginning of the song. (“Peekin’ as I’m passing through the clouds,/ I wanna take a leak and let the world just have a peak”)
Towards the end of Sickleberry Sunsets, Dass introduces a beautiful tribute to Nujabes in the form of a horn solo. This leaves room for some introspection on the part of the listener, before SHAK quietly closes the track, pouring his heart out softly on the chorus one last time. Wovensound is an underrated project, and Sickleberry Sunsets is a strong testament to Dass’ dense competency and creativity as a musician, producer, and songwriter. Sickleberry Sunsets is the lead single off Wovensound’s upcoming debut EP Vertigos Fulfilled, which is due in mid 2021 – a project definitely worth looking out for.
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