Album Review: Uppermost Reveals Humanity’s “Origins”
When you think of the origins of humanity, you often think on Earth. Yet, many scientists believe that humanity is cosmic and made of stardust. This notion is stunning and expands our minds in terms of how we connect with our soul and the universe. It is easy to feel small when you think of life on earth, but when you start imagining it as something comparable to possible life on Mars, Jupiter, or any other planet or galaxy, earthly existence can seem bigger. Uppermost is a French independent electronic music producer based in Paris, who uses the French EDM scene as a musical exploration of humanity’s intergalactic Origins.
From “Constellation” to “Love”, I felt like I had put on a space suit and skyrocketed out of earth to then look down and watch how it works. Uppermost brilliantly brings in the notion of stars by twinkling piano melodies and keyed synths that sound as if stars were shooting upon the nightlife sky like, in “Emotions” or “Imagine Reality”. The entire album feels like you are swimming in wonder, and makes you want open your eyes. This may sound like a strange effect, but so often when we listen to good music we want to close our eyes and dream of somewhere else. Yet, to Uppermost, the dreams of “somewhere else” are right before you. Your life can be somewhere or “something” else if you change your perspective. Songs such as “Beautiful Light”, “Devotion”, and “Alive” mash the world of electronica with instrumentals that then blend to make a delicious paste that seems to cover your mind. Their basslines and computerized voices lightly bounce onto arrangements that strangely encompass the single theme they are dedicated to. “Angels” really does sound like a pack of angels are either dancing above you or fighting with you, while “Flashback” uses heavier synths that come off like dark rewinds into your past. After all, looking back is not exactly the healthiest thing for you to do, but even in songs like “Mistakes” and “Left Unsaid” Uppermost takes you heart and mind to places that you would, normally, not want to enter but does so because the rhythm moves you through them.
I use to question if it was harder to move people only through sounds than words. Yet, after reviewing DJ’s like Martin Solveig and MK, I felt humbled at the realization that beats can be as important or moreso than words. When you study English, you assume that nothing can overcome poetry, but Uppermost Origins is a huge, sonic poem to life. It make you see visions that,open your ears to transform places like your workspace or room into new terrain meant to be altered and explored for how they affect you. Songs like, “Thousand Colors” and “Reminder” feel big but effortless in production, which shows the talent of this Parisian DJ. He brings in a level sophistication that is so cool and crisply arranged, you do not realize how much work and layers go into making songs like “The Core”, “Revolution”, or “Hope” stir imaginings of what these terms mean in your life. Frankly, I am hugely impressed with this record, and would recommend it to ANY club fanatic like myself or person that enjoys dancing to music that stimulates your mind. For Me, Uppermost is the rare DJ that sees beats as a mental drug of which, dancing is rich side-effect. For More Information On Uppermost Click Here.
