As a gifted artist and producer, one might struggle to place a finger on what makes his music so addictive, but would undoubtedly return to the underlying feeling of balance and connection. The New York Timesproclaims that“No part of his fusion is forced….While many attempts to merge classical melodicism with dance music sound awkward and gimmicky...Emancipator has found a balance.”
Doug Appling aka Emancipator has consistently shown his progress and flair for creating complex, eclectic music curated and developed from his early years training as a violinist, to his career of utilizing etheric melodies and sophisticated arrangements. Today he continues to transport those lush soundscapes, building a collage of instrumental sounds, pulling from mostly classical, world music, jazz, new age and a lot of hip hop. Making its premiere via Billboard Dance and Spotify these are the ingredients in Appling’s sonic toolkit that make up “Ghost Pong,” the lead single from his forthcoming 2017 album and first original material released by this prolific artist since 2015’s Seven Seas.
While Emancipator is not letting loose on further details off his forthcoming album just yet, a fun antidote is that he’s discovering the world of found sounds outside his Portland studio and using these original field recordings in his productions.
He says of the new single: “I’ve been inspired lately to return to making melodic instrumental Hip-Hop and this one has a chilling vibe to it which felt right. This specific song was born from a field recording when we had a ping pong table on tour with us.”
The single comes just one week ahead of his return to the iconic Colorado venue Red Rocks, but this time he’s headlining for the very first time on August 27 with his Ensemble featuring the breathtaking musicianship of longtime collaborator and violinist Ilya Goldberg, bassist Mub Fractal and drummer Colby Buckler. They will be joined by co-headliners The Opiuo Band plus RJD2 and Machinedrum. This is the biggest stage production he’s put together yet with carefully curated visuals and sound design.
In 10 years Emancipator has come a long way since he launched his music career by self-releasing his debut album “Soon It Will be Cold Enough” in 2006 while still a college student. In 2012 he launched his own Loci records imprint to help his talented circle of friends, by providing a platform for their musical output.
Massively respected amongst his robust fanbase and piers alike, Emancipator is the hidden gem of electronic music.
"Ghost Pong" is a chill event spent watching shadows move. Soulful wails and weeping violins set the mood over a laid-back beat. It's deliciously moody, definitely necessary for your next rainy afternoon. -BILLBOARD