Echoes Alike

For those of you who enjoy ambient-electronic, we’ve got some fresh music for you. Echoes Alike is the solo project of Brooklyn, New York based Timothy Shrider. He self-released his debut EP entitled Moon Monster on July 5, 2011 (available on iTunes).
Moon Monster is a thoughtfully constructed EP that explores instrumental canvases of electronic layering and looping. There are some hints of dubstep thrown in for good measure, but this EP will appeal more to those who enjoy rich, gentle sounds.
The song that SSG Music gets to premiere today is entitle “Bi-Coastal.” It starts off unsuspecting and curious with some light bells and an array of morphed sounds. It soon blooms into a poppy crescendo, evoking feelings of joy and triumph. Listeners should enjoy this as a nice pat on the back song for a job well done. The EP does a fine job of keeping the listener engaged and interested. It’s a fine first effort, and we look forward to seeing how Echoes Alike develops. - SSG Music

This EP is not usually my thing, but I for one will be looking out for more downbeat electronica; and this is largely down to the perfectly produced EP from Echoes Alike. Timothy Shrider is the brain behind this alter ego, and Echoes Alike is the product of years of honing his compositional talents and production skills. The result in this instance is an EP filled with many level of avid melodies over growling gritty bass, coupled with clean and crisp production so that every note, every nuance is heard with clarity.
I’ll give a short breakdown of each track in my reviews, detailing them in order of preference, with my favourite track last.
Great artwork.
‘Apparition Dance’ is a somber track; the sounds all work well together, there is no discordance and the main hook sits nicely among the various transitions throughout.
I love the dark yet harmonious nature of ‘Millenia’, the breakdowns in this song give the track ample breathing space whereas otherwise it could be a bit too much for one track, but luckily the grizzly synth pads don’t overwhelm or clash in the mix.
Some nice guitar work drives ‘Fox & Rabbit’ to a gentle melodic crescendo, the clicking of palm-muted guitar is complimented well by a clean bright synth tone towards the end. A slow burner, but a track that sits nicely in the EP.
‘Moon Monster’ is the EP’s title track, and clearly Echoes Alike wanted to make this a big one. Discordant chimes and atonal pads sweep across this song, a truly brilliant composition with ethereal but still modern and clear tones of atmosphere and space.
‘Bi-Coastal’ is ace. A pumping track that wouldn’t sound out of place with vocals from Snow Patrol if they ever decided to venture into more electronic music. The high-end sounds offer real clarity; the lower end is not too fuzzy or distorted and sounds great. Quite a catchy track, and one which in my opinion could be further enhanced with some vocals.
Haunting yet warm synths introduce the opening track ‘Batteries’, and these give way to a clear lead melody complimented by a grainy rumbling bass underneath. The counter melodies progress nicely, and don’t linger for too long; a common trap that tracks of this persuasion often fall into. The track is rounded off with more warm growling bass and solid beats, and is overall a good song that encompasses both dark and light and marries them well.
Echoes Alike can be incredibly proud of this debut offering, and I will be keeping an eye on anything else he churns out. See below for links to his Soundcloud, YouTube & Twitter. - Music Under Fire