Reflective of both his stage moniker and the title of his deeply intricate, sonically adventurous debut EP Hello, electronic composer/artist Harrison Avery – aka DJ Hello – offers in just four tracks a dazzling introduction to his wide array of musical influences, deeply melodic and percussive sensibilities and flair for infectious, freewheeling productions that draw us in and keep us hypnotically engaged.
The multi-talented 20 year old artist, who first started creating EDM, dubstep and other forms of digital music at age 10, engages from the get-go, creating with his bass house/electro-house title track (whose vibe is as intense and emphatic as its title “HELLO!”) a fanciful and funky all-electronic percussion jam full of deep beats, trippy industrial sounds, synth wash sizzle and offbeat exotic details. Just as we’re falling into the deep hypnosis, he showcases his love of cool, soulful jazz, creating a shimmering otherworldly soundscape for the sensual hip-hop/urban jazz excursion “I Want a Sunflower Field,” featuring the whimsical sax of Brad Aiken and sparkling Fender Rhodes of Matt Twombly.
The house/techno track “Half Moon” meets halfway between pure grooving dance-floor fun and seductive romance, topping his buoyant, inviting groove and edgy percussion with dual lines of melodic that swirl a playful, bubbly synth melody and echoing background atmospheres. DJ Hello is back in fusion mode on the electronic/IDM propelled closing track “Phi,” patching together a wildly simmering melodic synth loop and the project’s most dense drumbeats over a trippy and mystical expansive atmosphere.