Imagine a sonic landscape where the past and future aren't just adjacent, but actively entwined! Andrew PM Hunt, the visionary behind the electronic project Dialect, has been weaving this intricate tapestry for a decade. He masterfully blends the ethereal echoes of traditional instruments with the crisp, polished sheen of modern electronics. The result? A mesmerizing fog where it becomes delightfully ambiguous whether you're hearing a live performance, a cleverly sampled snippet, or a purely synthesized creation. It’s a realm of memory and fantasy, of what is and what could be.
Hunt himself has spoken about his creative process in almost utopian terms, viewing music-making as a profound statement: "this is what we are" or "this is what we could be." He's not just making sounds; he's articulating a vision of existence.
But here's where it gets really interesting... His latest EP, Full Serpent, feels like a confident stride into that envisioned utopia. It serves as a kind of epilogue to his 2024 album, Atlas of Green, which chronicled the journey of a musician named Green from a far-flung future. The press materials hint at Green's quest to uncover "lost signals" buried deep within the "sediments of technology and time." In practice, this translates to a soundscape familiar to Dialect fans: fragments of human voices emerge from collages of tape loops and glitchy imperfections, all warmed by vibrant, almost alien synthesizer melodies.
What sets Full Serpent apart, however, is the narrative depth. Inspired by the philosophical musings of Federico Campagna and the anthropological sci-fi worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, the EP gains an emotional resonance and a clear narrative arc. Suddenly, every wavering synth note and every ghostly vocal sample feels not just atmospheric, but purposeful and vital.
Full Serpent invites us further into Green's adventures within a future where the past constantly seeps through the cracks, bubbling with unexpected color and life. The sonic palette remains consistent with Hunt's signature style: treated samples of instruments, distant vocalizations, and shimmering synthesizer arrangements. In fact, some compositions on this EP are sonic collages originally conceived for its predecessor! The EP even kicks off with the distinct sound of a tape rewinding, a subtle nod to its origins. Yet, within its concise 18 minutes, Hunt masterfully reveals that this world still holds mysterious doorways and uncharted territories ripe for exploration.
And this is the part most people miss... The tracks that have emerged from this process are some of Hunt's most vibrant and otherworldly to date. Take "Ev’ry Portal Past," for instance. It's a jubilant fusion of chirping vocal samples, delicate electronic flourishes, and hazy melodies that evoke the first warm rays of sunshine breaking over a desert. The title track, "Full Serpent," is rarely so jittery and alive; it blossoms from low, murmuring drones into dazzling, bokeh-like synth patterns. It possesses the ecstatic energy of early Warp Records and the playful inventiveness of '80s new age artists, creating electronic music that feels wide-eyed and pulls at the very edges of melody.
Even the EP's shorter pieces, like the subtly intricate "Sky Receiver" or the brief, bubbling "Little Fragment," exude a sense of restless motion. The motivations of Hunt's central character, Green, are undeniably abstract. With its largely wordless and loosely structured nature, it can be challenging to pinpoint a concrete narrative. But is a clear narrative always necessary for profound artistic expression? Hunt's buoyant compositions, however, convey a powerful sense of relentless exploration. This feeling reverberates through every slivered sample and every squirming synth line. You're constantly kept on your toes, never quite knowing where each piece will lead, and just as you think you've grasped his latest move, he's already onto the next. What do you think about music that prioritizes feeling and exploration over a strict narrative? Let me know in the comments below!
