You Should Know: Solvent

Producer Jason Amm, or Solvent, isn't flying completely under the radar, but unless you're at all connected to the experimental electronic scene, it's very possible you've not heard his name yet. I only recently discovered him with the release of his new album, Subject to Shift, but it was enough to quickly make me a fan. The record is a spacey collection of electro tunes that blends bright synths, digital percussion and Amm's manipulated vocals in a way that might best be described as synth-pop, just not the kind that is so frequently associate with that term lately. Amm's genius lies in his ability to create music that is at both incredibly odd and completely engaging, so while the songs almost never go where you'd expect, you're always happy to end up where they leave you.

From the dark, club-ready bump of "Formulate" to the glitch-meets-pop swagger of "Don't Forget to Phone," Amm's songs consistently captivate, somehow melding into one another despite the often radically different stylistic approaches used. Sometimes he demands your attention as he croons a haunting electro-glam chorus, then the next moment he lets the focus rest purely on his impressive digital compositions, but whatever tools he uses, Jason Amm offers myriad reasons on Subject to Shift as to why Solvent is a name that deserves mention much more frequently in our conversations about electronic music's most talented artists.

Download: Loss For Words (MP3)

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