Dylan Banks, a.k.a. Skybison, has spent considerable time working in the periphery of the Atlanta music scene, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that his first full record, Envisage, works best when it arrives in so many veiled hints and whispers, like a well-guarded secret.
Since 2012, the artist and producer has sporadically released a handful of ambient singles, each one coated in warm tones and diffuse atmospherics. Rhythm and melody have played their part, of course, but from the beginning Banks has been content to trace out amorphous outlines and fill them in with sumptuous synths and ethereal, windswept vocals. With Envisage, he makes a concerted effort to expand his palette; tracks like “Amrin” and “Monomania,” which form the central core of the record, are more kinetic and danceable than anything he’s done in the past. But for my money, Skybison is most effective when Banks is being slow, deliberate, and pushing towards a sort of understated majesty; whether it’s the muted pop contours of “You Don’t Say” or the impressionist haze of the title track, Envisage shines when it’s shrouded in an air of hushed intimacy.
Stream Envisage in full below.
Skybison will celebrate the release of Envisage on Monday, December 21 at Aisle 5. Supporting him will be Group Sound Therapy as well as DJ sets from The Beatles. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is FREE.
More Info
Bandcamp: skybison.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @skybisonmusic
Instagram: @skybisonmusic
SoundCloud: @skybisonmusic
Twitter: @skybisonmusic