FEATURED ARTIST
BETAGEIST
Carmel, United States
ARTIST BACKGROUND
BETAGEIST sent us his latest project entitled 'Interference Patterns' this week. The title refers to the idea that our world is under constant influence from unreachable forces that shape our lives in profound but incomprehensible ways. A famous scientific example is found in the double-slit interference pattern experiment, which exposes the nature of quantum mechanics and hints at the existence of infinite parallel universes. At this moment I was SOLD. This was something that definitely hits a spot within the universe of my mind. Below you can read my review as I go track by track through this project. Oh, and don't forget to check out our exclusive interview at the bottom of this page!
INTERFERENCE PATTERNS
REVIEW
'Interference Patterns' by BETAGEIST opens its 5track project with the track 'From The Beginning which I thought was a really fitting start to the collection of songs. The track opens with an atmospheric collection of synths that range from bell synths to techno shuffles that are accompanied by a soft percussion loop. I really like the way that the bell synths integrate to lift the feel of the piece. This is a lovely progressive track that offers a slow yet uplifting feel to the listener. There's a delayed guitar riff that twangs in all of the right places to enhance the feel of the deep techno-inspired production. This is a lovely piece for those who want to reflect and be mindful. Track 2 entitled 'Our Ghosts Will Walk Here' offers a similar feel that is created by the reverb and delay techniques however, we hear a more choppy element to the synths, the inclusive of strings and vocal samples that lure you further into the space of the project. I find this type of music hypnotic and inspiring to listen to. There is also a classical piano synth added to this piece that offers something new to the project along with an action-packed drum kick for effect. The opening two pieces of this project provide something worthy of TV or advertising, possibly promoting electronic products or an uplifting accompaniment for a dramatic scene in a drama series. 'Far Greater' keeps to the choppy bell synth effect and is slow-burning. As the track develops we hear the slow emergence of synths that almost sound like a vocal choir, but aren't. This makes the piece highly hypnotic. We hear a sprinkle of magic in the keys in several places. Reverbed kicks make a great addition to this piece before introducing bass to the equation. This piece is mixed perfectly and arranged in a way that tells the listener any story that their mind feels to explore. Track 4 entitled 'N-OK' keeps to a similar feel in terms of choppy bell synths but also brings bass into the mix at an earlier point. Opening with a slap bass brings something new to the sound without losing the key theme of the project. There is also a more dominant drum kick in this piece that offers something more rhythmic to follow in comparison with the previous pieces of the project. Several ambient sample chops are also thrown in to break the cycle of repetitiveness without removing the repetitive trance state of the piece. Around a third of the way into this 9:59 track, we hear the inclusion of a rock-inspired guitar riff that really lifts the emotion of the piece. This piece is impressive and progressive. I loved the dominance of the electric guitar riffs that took to the surface here. In the third part of the track, we hear the progression slowly incline in the reduction of stems found in the mix but there are also new elements thrown in too such as vocal chops before ending on a simplistic note. The last track on this project is a mega 14:50 minutes in length. I was very intrigued to hear how this piece developed over its duration. Opening with a simple acoustic piano melody we get off to an acoustic start in 'Broken For You'. This doesn't last long before the choppy futuristic synths join in. This piece developed quite quickly for a track that holds so much time. I found this very interesting as it suggested that the track would include a lot of stems and arrangements to listen out for. Around 4 minutes in, we hear an organ synth that makes all of the difference, it adds to the suspense of the project without overpowering the journey. As the electric guitar makes shows its hand I couldn't help but get even more lost in the story of this piece. It's progressive, dreamy, and cinematic. At the 10-minute mark, the track breaks down into the acoustic melody that we heard at the start but also throws in some distortion before completely taking a different turn. The melody is kept the same but the feel moves into a heavy rock feel. I found this really interesting and loved it. The track then breaks down again once more after 2 minutes to take us back into a state of awe and hypnosis. This project is packed with skills, cinematics, and expert production skills. Definitely looking forward to hearing more from this artist in the future. I decided to reach out for an interview to find out more about this artist!
INTERVIEW
What would be your ultimate achievement for your latest single? Is there a particular vision that you had when putting the song together?
The track “Until We’re Swallowed By the Sun” tries to convey the rush of self-awareness juxtaposed with the tragedy of mortality, which I guess more or less describes all art, but the idea that anything so magical and boundless can be tethered to such abiding fragility - from the tiniest cells to the planet itself - is an endless fascination and inspiration for me.
If you could define music in one short sentence (no cheating) what would you say?
Music is a connection to each other and to the common underlying chemistry of all living things, and a good amount of the inanimate universe as well.
One artist you would bring back to life?
He’s not a musician but the naive kid from the American Midwest inside me would really love to talk it over with Kurt Vonnegut. I just know he’d understand somehow.
When did you first realise that you had the potential to be an artist? Is there a memory that has stuck in your mind as the turning point for you?
As a teenager my parents bought me some 80’s synth gear and I was instantly hooked. Every quiet kid feels trapped inside themselves and that was my way out.
Do you play any instruments? If not, is there a specific one that you'd like to learn?
Piano and guitar.
How would you define your sound?
I call it electronic post-rock, which just means it’s between synth-based and guitar based instrumental music. Most of the stuff that fits that description out there is either ambient or psychedelic, which I also dabble in.
What's the story behind your artist name?
The name Betageist to me means literally always preparing for and trying to wrap our minds around death. We are just ghosts in the testing phase so to speak. It’s one small way to reconcile our incomprehensible existence.
What is the biggest challenge you've faced as an artist?
Reaching listeners! Potential fans are so spread out. For decades before streaming we all had to listen to whatever the record companies fed us. Now that we’re in charge of that, the task of finding what we like is a constant struggle. I mean there are 60000 new tracks released every single day.
What are your future plans? What can we look forward to for the rest of 2022?
Writing, promoting, making videos, repeat. I’d love to collaborate with other artists or even filmmakers if I find myself fortunate enough.
Where would you like to be 5 years from now?
Anywhere I can be with family and make music is heaven.
Where can we find the track? Links to socials and distribution handles
My latest single is here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5CQNeqfUL9kkPy0EfKAtR6si=4WBl0UURQ1i6W7Bpov8Wg
The video is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbS8ImvlDhQ
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/betageist/