Tag: Elevated Focusion

Elevated Focusion – Self-Titled review

Elevated Focusion is a producer from Queens, New York who initially emerged in the underground under the moniker Jonny Rythmns dropping a handful of beat tapes such as Slow & Steady or The Sinthmeister. But after changing his name earlier this year, he’s looking to further introduce the new him to the underground by cooking up a full-length debut album of his own that’s primarily instrumental even though it’s most certainly worth pointing out the small handful of vocal performances from a few featured recording artists.

“Elevation” by Brigid Bites is a trippy opener to the album as she raps about climbing to the top of the mountain whereas the beat on “Stolen Time” by Bassiedee & Larissa Almeida feels like something out of an acid trip in a good way as both of them give off a more melodic delivery clarifying it’s not the end as they will find love again. “Yoko Loko” is a fresh little instrumental cut pulling from electronic dance music & after the “Amplifeyed” interlude, “Mind Frames” blends these chopped up operatic vocal samples with kicks & snares.

Continuing from there, “Waltz into the Wilderness” dabbles a bit with spoken word a bit over a hair-raising backdrop taking you through the jungle that is until “Late Night Dive” gives off a groovier feel & Katie Burke’s singing here is are provocatively passionate talking about needing to look out for herself. “Trypnotica” perfectly lives up to its name as a 105 second instrumental piece pulling from trap & psychedelia prior to “Natural Born Scumbags” pulling from dance once more.

“Tabla Tea Party” by EIMAS & Vincenzo Nocerino mixes some tablas with synthesizers declaring to be both the bullet AND the gun while “Stained in the Zone” delves further into a more futuristic sound. “About Today” by Day Vision resurrects the dance vibes singing about gazing in the mirror expecting to find herself & looking for help while the song “Psychodelicate” by Brigid Bites turns into trap turf bracing herself for a bad trip. The penultimate track “Trance Bender” gives us 1 last EDM joint & “Lost Time” ties things up entrancingly.

He’s come a long way from those early beat tapes & this eponymous debut album takes his career to the next stage in an impressive fashion. His production here is more genre-bending as he combines his love for New York culture & all genres of music but at the same time providing a place where the outsiders & insiders can meet through music & clothing representing creativity, originality, counterculture, passion, and the moment of change.

Score: 3.5/5

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Elevated Focusion – “Slow & Steady” review

Elevated Focusion is a producer from Queens, New York who’s been on a roll by dropping a beat tape every week throughout February with the first being a self-titled effort on the first Friday of the month & that was followed up last Thursday with Let’s Get All Silly & Weird. Here we are at the 3rd week & we’re already being treated to his 3rd consecutive tape.

“All That Glitters Ain’t Gold” is a luxurious opener with it’s wonderful keyboard & string arrangements whereas “Hypnotic Space Groove” lives up to it’s name as the synthesizer throughout just makes you wanna light one up. “Behind Door #2” follows it up with something that sounds like a climatic moment in a sci-fi flick leading into “Earth Bound”, where these synths are laced with some drums that just thump you in the chest.

Meanwhile on “A Funky Little Collision”, we have Jonny providing the soundtrack for what I can imagine to be a futuristic party just before the style of “3rd Stone from the Pizzaria” kinda reminds me of Daft Punk’s 3rd album Human After All. “Just Here to Roll” follows this up with a more minimal yet electronic tone, but then “Force of Nature” almost has a bit of a Neptunes influence to it which I love because that’s my favorite production duo of all-time.

“Galactic Crime Syndicate” takes the boom bap route throwing in some dramatic keyboards & synth-horns while “They Call Me Pebblestone” goes full blown electro taking it back to the 80’s. “Hit Hard & Get Loose” follows it up with a singular piano note & some synths while “Victory Dance” almost has a bit of a techno flare that I really admire.

Following that, “Have Some D.M.T. on Me” does in fact sound like a drug trip as the synth melody throughout is very wavy while “The Come Down” returns to the boom bap except this instrumental is string-heavy. “Mutiny” has to be one of the weaker beats on here as it just seems a little clunky to me, but “Blood in the Streets” follows it up by paying homage to Eminem’s production back in the 2000’s.

“Collateral Damage” makes me feel like I’m playing a space mission in a Crash Bandicoot game while “The Horror” follows it up with a more atmospheric tune. The penultimate track “Another Story Told” preludes the closer with a more laidback cut & finally, “Farewell” sends the tape off with yet another Neptunes homage.

Compared to the other 2 tapes that he’s dropped prior, I think Slow & Steady has to be my favorite one thus far. The whole concept of it will draw you in from the start & my favorite thing about it has to be the wide range of influences that he draws from.