Times may be bleak for many at the moment, but in that other worldly space that harbours those on the experimentation edge of electronica now is the time to finally come alive and Carnivals, aka Stewart green from Sheffield, may be well poised to lead the pack.
His sound is a masterclass in sound manipulation, with tracks like Leeda ebbing and flowing between tribal worship and continual beat (de)construction, all awash with shimmering atmospheric synths. There are easy similarities between Carnivals and Manchester-based D/R/U/G/S, who he has supported live, but he has peeled back that whole sound to something more basic, brittle, and primal – even when the melody is more upbeat and soothing on Drowning, the dead-space in the mix is attention-grabbing. Less is just sometimes more.
As addictive as they are beautiful, Carnivals’ soundscapes leave you needing the next hit after the his Mavi Kara EP ends in some distortion heavy bass. For recordings so full of dead space, they are utterly immersive.
Leeda by Carnivals
Drowning by Carnivals
I Can See by Carnivals
What’s Left by Carnivals
