Blue Fields Swimming In The Shadows

Haunt Music

our years on from their masterfully haunting debut, Mike Shannon and Takeshi Nishimoto’s Blue Fields project returns with their emotionally charged sophomore album. That 2012 debut won the Canadian DJ/producer and Japanese guitarist widespread acclaim for its beautiful concoction of Downtempo, Jazz and leftfield Electronica. The new record is in much the same vein, but takes on a moodier, darker hue. Whereas the first album sounded calm and laidback, Swimming In The Shadows feels unsettled, paranoid and full of sadness. The production is deeper and more experimental too, exploring more sparse soundscapes where lingering guitars drift over quiet smatterings of drums and grainy textures. The vocals are hazy and sultry, adding to the eerie atmosphere. Moving through various shades, tones and tempos, the album begins to quicken in pace, the grooves become musclier, the basslines more driving and the synths more immediate, referencing Detroit Techno and European Experimental Techno with the duo’s own nuanced approach.

Despite its varying styles, the tone of the whole album is melancholic and dreamy and it has a deeply personal, reflective feel. A beautiful and beguiling record, this is Blue Fields proving their imaginative and expressive personalities once again.

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