brettworks

Tipper, “Dreamsters” (2014). David Tipper is the best kind of artist—someone not easily pigeonholed, and someone whose work creates a unique aesthetic world. Such artists are rare in our time–Right?–when so many producer-composers sound similar to one another. But Tipper ins’t worried about fitting in. He’s an outsider about whom little is known. I like to think this anonymity is connected to his skill in concocting a compelling sound all his own. “Dreamsters” is a mid-tempo track, in 12/8 instead of the usual 4/4 rhythmic feel, with an almost-but-not-blues I-III-IV chord progression in the sub bass. But above that bass and a kick, snare, and hi hats, it’s all dreamy action—from the vibraphone pattern to the swirling pads, from the tinkling bells and micro-chopped melodies to the immersive sound design. Listen: these 5 minutes of music demonstrate master-level sound design. What makes is masterful? Not complexity per se, but thoughtful, considered, and placed-just-so intricacy. “Dreamsters” sounds like a frighteningly dialed-in band, celebrating how to humanize the synthetic. The sound of the track is razor-sharp, each of its elements articulated and placed for a reason, the orchestration and arrangement inseparable. In this music, every sound creates its own pocket.