Lithium Magazine

Independent

By Trystan MacDonald

http://www.chordsoftruth.com/project/remixed/

I’ve been a music journalist for a little over 3 years now. While I would never say anything bold as I’ve listened to everything, I would say that I’ve listened to a lot of music from an endless library of genres. Until a couple of weeks ago I had never heard of folktronica. Chords of Truth is an acoustic folk project founded by musician Jason Garriotte. In late 2011, Jason released the EP Reflections of Reality to critical acclaim. Curious to see how his work would translate through various musical genres, Jason met with several electronic producers to see how other artists could interpret and adapt his work. The resulting product is the double E.P Reflections of Reality Remixed.

Combining various sub-genres of techno with folk music is a trip to say the least. You can’t deny the album’s rather unique expedition into experimental music; proving that there are no limitations or borders when it comes to music. The album contains 26 tracks, each with their own unique take on one of Jason Garriotte’s song. The electronic genres range from dubstep, trance, electronic, etc., however all tracks contain Jason’s lyrics from his original release. This is a rather unique challenge considering the somewhat awkward timing of folk vocals. Some of the producers did a brilliant job remixing their selected song, whereas some songs fell flat and lacked imagination opting for a simpler remix. “When I Was Wasted” was the only song that seemed to have difficulty adapting to the new musical format, most likely due to the pacing of the lyrics within the song. Other than that, I found many of the remixes to have a refreshing perspective of Jason’s original music.

Ultimately, the musical experiment Reflections of Reality Remixed succeeded in what it was trying to accomplish as a successful cross genre project captivating the visions and unique views of various producers in regards to Jason’s musical philosophy. Regardless of your personal electronic niche there will be tracks on this release that appeal to your style of techno. It will be interesting to see how this musical project and this particular genre evolve, both creatively and philosophically. Be sure to check this fascinating album when it releases March 12, 2013.