UMIAQ

Los Angeles electronic producer, Samuel Murphy, aka Umiaq, may be a pretty new artist (after all, he only just created his Facebook in May of this year—so go give him some likes!), but he’s already creating some buzz with his debut EP, Far From Home. Featuring a blend of moody atmospherics, scattered beats, and a range of electronic elements, Far From Home showcases various moods that keep things fresh and interesting throughout. - Bitcandy

With a strong musical background, growing up as a drummer and later going on to study music in LA, Sam Murphy has been on our radar for a while: displaying an awareness in his use of the electronic sound that is always refreshing to our ears.

The Seatlle-born producer’s music tends to err on the ambient side of things: just check his SoundCloud and you’ll find a mix of lush, downtempo beats with a distinct summer nights feel to them. However, on his latest release, we witness an evolution in his production and songwriting: referencing the likes of Bonobo, Jon Hopkins and Burial amongst others.

Opening title track ‘Far From Home’ sees Umiaq experiment with a more club-friendly sound as ethereal vocals blend with a soft yet assertive 4/4 house beat. Eleanor Crane features on vocals and her smoky mesmeric tones are the ideal compliment to the gently surging beat. Following on with ‘Dreamer’, Umiaq leads in on a more mellow vibe: opening in with blurry descending piano chords. Adhering to a more traditional song structure on this one, with echoes of influencers James Blake and Radiohead becoming present as the track unfolds, ‘Dreamer’ is atmospheric and poppy in the best possible way.

‘Runaround’ sees more reverbed piano mixed together with samples of rough, electrical sounding scrapes and twitches. At six minutes in length it is a slow builder, but don’t be deterred as the crescendo is definitely worth the wait. Ending in a fuzz of noise, the cyclical element to ‘Runaround’ – represented in the title – finally comes into full force. ‘Until We Meet Again’ opens gradually with a slow and hesitant, syncopated kick snare pattern before Umiaq introduces atmospheric synths alongside soft melancholic vocals telling of heartbreak, stating “I’m not ready to say goodbye”.

Closing with the dramatic ‘Stranded Spark’ and visceral and intense ‘Somewhere Across The Dark’, throughout the EP Umiaq delivers a range of emotion and atmosphere: experimenting with textures and dipping into several electronic genres for inspiration on the way! Out now, take a listen for yourself below and if you’re digging it then pick up a copy over here. - The Noise Gate

Under the moniker Umiaq, Samuel Murphy creates a smooth shadowy soundscape via ambient electronic effects out of his home studio in Pasadena. The spectral singer’s debut EP, Far From Home, will be released on October 21st but for now you can enjoy the piano driven single “Dreamer” - Free Bike Valet

Read too many articles about the Middle East. Don’t talk about it. Sleep is organised by capitalism. So are pills, all pills. I know Umiaq addresses this song to some /you/ but the truth is he has unwittingly grabbed his fingers a MOMENT far greater than any personal pronoun or simple sentences collected neatly in the accusative case. To say. Something like the silent following: Goodbye Europe, Goodbye schooldays, Goodbye Heaven, I don’t need you now I know exactly how I want my haircut for the rest of my life. And still I watch the BBC news article scroll away into some grey archive of fear. And still I shudder in the wake of some stencilled 7 hour sleep. And still I imagine the gulping and the nurse, the comedy of a son drowning in University shallows, fresh meat and strobe lights. And so I sit, a sombre black heap, hopelessly watching my black tufts of hair cascade to the varnished floor around me. Cut to exactly 1 inch. Europe, schooldays, metaphysics; framed pictures hovering above my head in the mirror. All I can muster is a sense of unreadiness and loss, Umiaq crafts that sense into sound, a picture of miscellaneous, tidy haircuts on beach heaven, somewhere else, some 30 hours later, when I return to the inbox, a tinge of crass, past empathy.
Dark, again, dramatic, gravity, dubbed screenings of pop for the weary deep divers; Umiaq and his soon-to-be EP, Far From Home, of which the above is a teaser.
https://www.facebook.com/umiaqmusic - A Pocket Full Of Seeds

Los Angeles based producer Umiaq will be dropping an EP called “Far From Home” in mid October. Check out the effervescent “Dreamer” with it’s tapestry of soft piano chords, scatter shot beats and muffled vocals. Certainly a dreamy tune with an alluring ambience. - Whats Hip