Under Review

Person of Interest

Eclipse

Exotic Dance Records; 11/04/2017

author
Clara Dubber

Eclipse is Person of Interest’s second album, and first solo one, with Exotic Dance Records. Working anonymously, they have positioned themselves as a promising lo-fi artist, drawing from their roots in techno and house. Straying away from their previously aggressive and at times overwhelming beats to a lighter and more playful tone, this album acts as a transition. Experimenting with previously under-utilized instruments, like the disembodied vocals in “Lanes,” Eclipse demonstrates Person of Interest’s versatility and evolution as an artist.

On Eclipse, Person of Interest draws on their previous releases, combining the citrusy overtones of their songs like “Pompano Acid” from J. Albert and Person of Interest EDR002 with the swelling undertones of “Keep It Moving” from their eponymous album with L.I.E.S.. They successfully navigate disparate themes by layering kinetic percussion over sweeping beats to create a tone that is simultaneously lively and mellow.

With “Skyline (Angel’s Theme),” Person of Interest sets up this duality for the rest of the album. They also demonstrate their skill as a songwriter by lacing a bouncing melody overtop the potentially repetitive dance beat. Similarly, the subdued steadiness and use of vocals in “Slab Code (beat mix)” balances out the twangy brightness of “Lost1,” and “En Route” draws back on the structure of “Skyline (Angel’s Theme),” maintaining continuity on the album.

“Eclipse,” the titular song, is the the purist dance beat on the album, and the least interesting. It is fast-paced with minimal use of a mellowing under-beat, a melody fails to cut through its repetitiveness, and it has the aggressiveness of “Lost1” without the brightening acidity. It feels like a song made to appeal to techno and house fans on an otherwise lo-fi album.

In being able to combine the discordant themes of lively and mellow, Eclipse is a versatile album for any mood. While at times it seems that Person of Interest is pandering to a genre they don’t work within, the use of melody, percussion, and sweeping undertones makes this album fresh and interesting.