I’ve decided that the 2010’s should be called the Decade of the Producer. Sure, the biggest pop stars in the world still fashion themselves as over-the-top avatars of both our wildest dreams and our everyday anxieties, but the men and women behind the boards now receive a level of attention and acclaim relatively unprecedented in music history.
Back in the day, only obnoxious music nerd types scoured liner notes to learn about the various producers, sound engineers, studio musicians, and (more often than we realized) songwriters who served as the spine and nervous system of behind your average band, much less the artists at the top of the charts. Only a few superstars – think Quincy Jones or Phil Spector – were able to achieve mainstream recognition for their efforts. Now, not only do we correctly give the behind-the-scenes folks the attention they deserve, many of them are making music under on their own terms for the first time.
In another era, SBTRKT (the stage name of Aaron Jerome) would have been a top-notch, yet relatively anonymous hit-making producer for R&B and soul singers.
And judging by the masks he wears when performing his songs live, he’s more than aware of this strange new world he lives in as a producer. But those of us who love left-of-center electro-pop, we’re lucky enough to live in a time where we have access to his weird, glitchy tunes, and with Save Yourself, he’s released something of a defining artistic statement.
Like many producers and electronic artists of this generation – think Jamie xx, Four Tet, Flying Lotus, and the like – SBTRKT often speaks in singles and small-scale bursts of energy instead of a full-length record. Indeed, Save Yourself is an eight-song project that feels much more like a collection of ideas and concepts than a coherent record. Most of the tracks easily stand up on their own as complete thoughts, but there isn’t one motif guiding the direction of the album.
Usually, I balk at releases like this, as I’ve always been an “album person.” Singles are cool and all, but if you’re going to collect a batch of songs together, I’d rather you locate some sort of organizing principle. But what SBTRKT has going for him here is the utter strength of these tunes. With the exception of the opening instrumental track that’s less than three minutes in length, each of these songs could easily be a standout on its own record.
It helps that SBTRKT always works with such stellar vocalists. One of his primary collaborators on past releases is a clear-voiced tenor named Sampha, and he also counts Jessie Ware as a friend and muse for his brand of ‘90s R&B-meets-dubstep aesthetic. But with Save Yourself, the star is the glorious falsetto of The-Dream. He gives tunes like “Good Morning,” “Revert,” and “Bury You” an aching emotional honesty that is quite undeniable.
And the music is superb and on-point throughout. Big keys, synths, and pop melodies are the name of the game, but it’s the glitchy and syncopated breakbeats in the rhythm section that give the project its true life. I also find the relative brevity of these songs to be a refreshing palate-cleanser compared to the more obtuse electronic fare I typically enjoy.
SBTRKT has released an engaging record with Save Yourself. He gives his vocalists plenty of room to breathe in his arrangements while still providing robust instrumentation and bright production quality. This allows the songs space to be emotive without being moody paeans – because no one wants to hear whiny sad-sacks bleat about their breakups.
In the end, tSave Yourself represents what you want from a stellar producer: a combination of fantastic music and wonderful arrangements that make the singers shine. We’re just lucky enough to live in a world where this guy can receive his due.
Rating: This might not be the best record from SBTRKT, but it’s what I’d recommend you listen to if you’ve never heard his music before.