Emancipator
“Safe In The Steep Cliffs” (1320 Records)
Emancipator (Doug Appling)
Digital release date: January 19, 2010
“Safe In The Steep Cliffs” is a set of finely-crafted, epic instrumentals from Portland-based electronica/hip hop/downtempo producer Emancipator, featuring tight, syncopated percussion, organic melodies and eclectic samples. This subtle beatmaster eludes genre classification but will appeal to admirers of DJ Shadow, Bonobo, Nujabes, Pretty Lights.
To some, it must seem like this young electronic producer came out of nowhere this year. Emancipator played his first live show in July 2009, opening for Bonobo at the Roseland Theater (cap. 1500). Since then, he’s toured with Bassnectar, drawn crowds at festivals like Trinumeral and Symbiosis, and closed out Sound Tribe Sector 9’s late night parties in Denver at the request of the band.
But those in the know have been following Emancipator since he self-released his first album, Soon It Will Be Cold Enough, at the age of 19 in 2006. His agile melodies layered over headnodic, immaculately-produced beats captivated fans across the internet and across the world. “Soon It Will Be Cold Enough” was picked up by Japanese super-producer Nujabes, pressed in Japan and sold 5,000 copies in the first six months. Emancipator landed a Puma sponsorship, gave an interview to Rolling Stone Japan, discovered one of his songs was played at the Beijing Olympics (still trying to figure out how that happened) and his song “Shook,” a mashup that perfectly mixes Mobb Deep’s mighty raps with a haunting track from the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, become the highest-rated song on Hype Machine’s “Best 50 Songs of 2007,” and appeared on Hype Machine as the #2 most popular song in April 2009. Meanwhile, fans waited hungrily for the next album.
“Safe In The Steep Cliffs” blends new instrumentation and organic samples with the signature Emancipator style of clean production, silky melodies and addictive drums. Dense layers of choirs, horns, American folk instruments such as the banjo and mandolin, violin and some distinct Asian influences make for a playful but refined album built out of intricate tracks listeners can enjoy on as many levels as they want. Dance to it, chill out to it, immerse your mind in it: http://emancipatormusic.com.
Contact: Keith LeWinter, 503.288.1561 keith@abstractearthproject.com.
Emancipator’s upcoming tour dates:
Feb 2 Crown Hall w/ Bassnectar Mendocino, California
Feb 3 Arcata Theatre w/ Bassnectar Arcata, California
Feb 4 McDonald Theatre w/ Bassnectar Eugene, Oregon
Feb 5 Roseland Theater w/ Bassnectar Portland, Oregon
Feb 6 Showbox SoDo w/ Bassnectar Seattle, Washington
Feb 22 Wilma Theater w/ STS9 Missoula, Montana
Feb 25 The Depot w/ STS9 Salt Lake City, Utah
Feb 26 House of Blues w/ STS9 Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 27 Marquee Theatre w/ STS9 Tempe, Arizona
Feb 28 Rialto Theater w/ STS9 Tucson, Arizona
Mar 3 New Earth Music Hall - Athens, GA
Mar 4 90 Proof - Knoxville, TN
Mar 5 412 Market - Chattanooga, TN
Mar 6 12th & Porter - Nashville, TN
Emancipator (Doug Appling)
Digital release date: January 19, 2010
“Safe In The Steep Cliffs” is a set of finely-crafted, epic instrumentals from Portland-based electronica/hip hop/downtempo producer Emancipator, featuring tight, syncopated percussion, organic melodies and eclectic samples. This subtle beatmaster eludes genre classification but will appeal to admirers of DJ Shadow, Bonobo, Nujabes, Pretty Lights.
To some, it must seem like this young electronic producer came out of nowhere this year. Emancipator played his first live show in July 2009, opening for Bonobo at the Roseland Theater (cap. 1500). Since then, he’s toured with Bassnectar, drawn crowds at festivals like Trinumeral and Symbiosis, and closed out Sound Tribe Sector 9’s late night parties in Denver at the request of the band.
But those in the know have been following Emancipator since he self-released his first album, Soon It Will Be Cold Enough, at the age of 19 in 2006. His agile melodies layered over headnodic, immaculately-produced beats captivated fans across the internet and across the world. “Soon It Will Be Cold Enough” was picked up by Japanese super-producer Nujabes, pressed in Japan and sold 5,000 copies in the first six months. Emancipator landed a Puma sponsorship, gave an interview to Rolling Stone Japan, discovered one of his songs was played at the Beijing Olympics (still trying to figure out how that happened) and his song “Shook,” a mashup that perfectly mixes Mobb Deep’s mighty raps with a haunting track from the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, become the highest-rated song on Hype Machine’s “Best 50 Songs of 2007,” and appeared on Hype Machine as the #2 most popular song in April 2009. Meanwhile, fans waited hungrily for the next album.
“Safe In The Steep Cliffs” blends new instrumentation and organic samples with the signature Emancipator style of clean production, silky melodies and addictive drums. Dense layers of choirs, horns, American folk instruments such as the banjo and mandolin, violin and some distinct Asian influences make for a playful but refined album built out of intricate tracks listeners can enjoy on as many levels as they want. Dance to it, chill out to it, immerse your mind in it: http://emancipatormusic.com.
Contact: Keith LeWinter, 503.288.1561 keith@abstractearthproject.com.
Emancipator’s upcoming tour dates:
Feb 2 Crown Hall w/ Bassnectar Mendocino, California
Feb 3 Arcata Theatre w/ Bassnectar Arcata, California
Feb 4 McDonald Theatre w/ Bassnectar Eugene, Oregon
Feb 5 Roseland Theater w/ Bassnectar Portland, Oregon
Feb 6 Showbox SoDo w/ Bassnectar Seattle, Washington
Feb 22 Wilma Theater w/ STS9 Missoula, Montana
Feb 25 The Depot w/ STS9 Salt Lake City, Utah
Feb 26 House of Blues w/ STS9 Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 27 Marquee Theatre w/ STS9 Tempe, Arizona
Feb 28 Rialto Theater w/ STS9 Tucson, Arizona
Mar 3 New Earth Music Hall - Athens, GA
Mar 4 90 Proof - Knoxville, TN
Mar 5 412 Market - Chattanooga, TN
Mar 6 12th & Porter - Nashville, TN
Emancipator’s intricate, artful beats have earned him the kind of organic success 99% of artists only dream about. His debut album “Soon It Will Be Cold Enough,” was released only in Japan, but it filtered out into the rest of the world thanks to determined fans who got the music before the label did, ordered the expensive import or donated money in exchange for mp3s. But on September 8th 2009 the album will come out in the U.S. on STS9's own 1320 Records. The re-release is timed with Emancipator’s first North American tour, 10 performances across the country including three stops with Pretty Lights in the southeastern U.S and appearances at Trinumeral Festival in Asheville and Symbiosis Gathering in Yosemite.
“Emancipator’s debut album ‘Soon It Will Be Cold Enough’ beautifully mixes hip hop beats with guitar feedback and a delicate piano melody,” Rolling Stone says. “You can feel his energy when he performs. His face lights up and you can see how much he enjoys the music.”
Other reviews call the music “chill but captivating,” “fresh, clean production and sweet melodies,” and “damn cool.” Because it’s impossible to pin Emancipator to a specific genre, his fans struggle to describe the music: “Um, it’s really pretty, but like with SICK beats.”
Emancipator Website
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Emancipator : Releases
