In the late 2000s a sprawling catalogue of what is now genre-defining music was emanating from an unlikely place. Cleveland, Ohio has a broad reputation for many things, however, psyche-expanding Kosmische wasn’t necessarily Cleveland’s calling card… until Emeralds. The trio of John Elliott, Steve Hauschildt, and Mark McGuire had been releasing a host of limited-run cassettes, CD-Rs, and vinyl titles that had been passed around basement shows and then migrated to niche music communities online, creating a unique kind of murmur, even in the height of the DIY blog era.
The Emeralds' album 'Does It Look Like I'm Here?' was originally released in 2010 and now, over a decade later, the album has finally received a vinyl reissue through the label Ghostly. The album can rightfully be considered one of the band's most beloved and revered works, showcasing their mastery of ambienceThe opening track “Candy Shoppe” begins with a distorted synth line, slowly building in intensity until a wall of fuzz envelops the listener. The track feels simultaneously warm and cold, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that is a constant throughout the album.
This is the perfect introduction to the Emeralds' world of sound.
“Vibrant 2” another standout track, features a prominent repeating melody that ebbs and flows alongside a constantly shifting wall of ambient noise. There is a haunting beauty with the melody invoking a sense of memories lost and found. The track embodies a sense of melancholy that is undercut by the warmth of the instrumentals.
“Loox Like” is one of the album's most adventurous tracks, featuring an extended build-up that leads into a climax of swirling noise and distortion. The track is a perfect encapsulation of Emeralds' ability to create beauty out of chaos, with the noise and distortion gradually giving way to a serene wash of sound.
On “Goes By” the languid electric guitar strums and swooning synth pads peel apart into enveloping sheets of synth gargling and soaring leads. If their previous albums like ‘Solar Bridge’ and ‘What Happened’ were lysergic sprawls, ‘Does It Look Like I’m Here?’ presented itself as a pot holding a series of psychonautic blasts.
Throughout the album, Emeralds create an atmosphere that is often unsettling, but never overwhelming. 'Does It Look Like I'm Here?' is not an album for those seeking easy listening, but is instead a complex and challenging body of work that rewards careful listening. The album's title track is a wonderful example of this, with a pulsating rhythm that creates a sense of unease, while the expansive synth sounds create a lulling sense of hypnotism.
Listening to it now, 13 years after its original release on the Editions Mego label, the album sounds timeless, yet still immediate. There is a wide-pupiled and cotton-mouthed awe sewn into these radiant folds of sound; for those newly into this sort of thing, let this reissue serve as an initiation, and history lesson. For those who already know about them and have worn out their pirated MP3s of this album; you can finally get a fresh copy on vinyl. ‘Does It Look Like I’m Here?’ is an album that would forge a path for an entire scene.
Artistically, the album is a definitive statement; this is to say it was crafted by heads for heads, a genuine article and a profoundly deep listen, but the mainstream did not miss out on its initial release too. Pitchfork acknowledged the rarefied nature of the album with a “best new music” rating. This crossover success is a result of the tracks’ potency and wonderfully engineered and succinct structures. It’s dialed in. Still creating their distinct yawning cosmic sound, Elliott and Hauschildt shower the stereo spectrum with shimmering arpeggios, dusty, melodically dynamic swells, rippling FM textures, and canyon-wide waveshapes. McGuire’s signature guitar playing echoes emotive new age pathos and cascading astral space rock trance states.
In conclusion, the Emeralds 'Does It Look Like I'm Here?' is a masterpiece of ambient, drone, psyche, and new wave komische, showcasing the band's expert use of sound to create a deeply immersive listening experience. This reissue is a must-have for fans looking to rediscover the album's intricate soundscapes and for new listeners hoping to dive into the Emeralds' world of sound.
Take care
Stu
RRC
Kommentare