Experienced as an actor and model, current Brooklyner Conrad Clifton is also a composer – one with a résumé that sports such partnering credits as Missy Elliot, Rick Ross, and Asher ‘i love college’ Roth.
Having deejayed at numerous events, ranging from nightclubs to corporate shindigs, Mr. Clifton cultivated a talent on how to “read the crowd” and spontaneously render music to complement the atmosphere.
Drawing on this intuition, along with his extensive background and creativity, Clifton has released his latest effort Picture in Picture, a dynamic medley of electronica, hip-hop, and a genre known as “U.K. Garage.” There’s also something vaguely Asian-sounding at some points.
The track “Vanilla Skyscraper” sounds about as urban as its title. Notes sizzle, snap, and reverberate across the spectrum.
The title “Crystal Handgun” sounds both playful and dangerous at the same time. Something of a laid-back tone arrives at about 1:45, though this comparative mellowness does not last long, as the track returns to its frenetic pace.
My favorite moments so far come with this lil’ jingle occurring around 1:20 in the track “La Da Dee (He’s Hopeless).”
Though the track “Blackliight” travels at a hyper pace, there’s this introspective-sounding ditty as well, which provides for a cool contrast. Additionally, some intriguing experimentation takes place around 1:40.
“Blackliight”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtb6ZNSCUm8
“Polaroid Pixels” is considerably slower. It’s kinda like a brief lil’ comedown from the frantic ecstasies of the previous tracks.
I dare say there sounds something akin to a human voice on the track “Audition Subtraction.” I could, of course, be wrong. Perhaps it’s some wild sonic effect, about which I am unaware.
“Obsessive Tendencies” has an unconventional, slightly eerie chorus.
Some serious tempo-distortion takes place around 2:30 in the track “Mourning Gold.”
That same 2:30 mark in the following track, “Too Honest,” offers a truly strange juxtaposition of sounds.
The title track features some of the lowest notes on the whole album. I feel like I’m sinking through the dance floor in some drug-induced warp of my mind’s time-space continuum.
How many ways can you convey emotion without any lyrics? Conrad Clifton knows a few.
Witness for yourself at: http://conradclifton.bandcamp.com/album/picture-in-picture
Or head to: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/picture-in-picture/id679092775
Further evidence can be obtained at: http://www.conradclifton.com/
Ray Cavanaugh – owleyesgatsby@yahoo.com
