Following a string of successful collaborations over the past few years, producers Escha and Ytem now offer up their self-released debut EP Lossy. Since meeting online in 2019, the dastardly duo have been quietly carving out their own idiosyncratic sound, merging melody with chaos; utilising orchestral arrangements, donk interludes and subverted vocal samples. 2021 saw their self released 12” Chamber Versions bootleg sell out in one week. A slew of unreleased tracks followed, receiving heavy rotation from the likes of Varg2TM, Tzusing, Object Blue, Estoc, Slikback, Aggromance and many more.
Liverpool-born Escha (William Francis Green), member of concept label Circadian Rhythms, has become known for his erratic bootlegs and infamous Topper Top Remix. Whereas Paris-based Ytem (Emmanuel Yither) is renowned for his signature orchestral / hardstyle crossover sound, prominent on his Dangeroux EP via his own Abime Records imprint.
Lossy sees the pair solidify their sporadic range of musical influences in an EP of five diverse tracks. From the solemn piano flourishes of opener Chase, to the scorching synths and distorted pounds of Triple M, Lossy ebbs and flows through a breadth of genre and emotion.
Presented as a concept EP, an alternate version of the release follows the fictional journey of an online influencer‘s desire to achieve physical perfection. The idiom is sparingly portrayed through scattered vocal samples, leaving the listener to form their own interpretation of the theme. This narrative also reflects both producers’ conflicts with mental health issues and acts to confront them through this musical output.
The EP will be available digitally and physically as a CD (alternate version), packaged in an aluminium case, accompanied with an engraved iPhone screen designed and produced by the duo.
The EP’s lead single Dysmorphia, is the climactic finale, collating their various musical influences and blending them with a pop sensibility. The track features the vocals of Fauness (Earthly Records, Cascine Records) whose lyrics poetically interpret her own struggles with the condition, and in turn reflect the EP’s narrative as a whole: the complex relationship with one’s own image. The accompanying video visually realises these themes, following a process of metamorphoses akin to the myth of Echo and Narcissus, irreversible change, tying back into the EP’s title. Pre-Order the EP at hahahafuckoff.bandcamp.com/album/lossy
Listen to Ichor (Feat. Migu) by Escha & Ytem:
Last modified: June 16, 2022
