Our introduction to Vancouver’s iamforest came earlier this year with mellow EP Driven Out and sparkling, rapturous single “Structures.” In the intervening months, the producer/singer furthered honed his craft, turning out dreamy, beautiful five song set Armies and Air Raids.
With a muscular take on chillwave as the core, iamforest incorporates electronic influences, hip-hop, rock, and pop sensibilities into a stew evocative of many genres without losing its central character. Standouts “Holland” and “Wasted time” display the producer’s gift for shimmering sound selection and his unique ability to make the most of a minimal number of words, letting his pleasantly dense beats to breathe and speak for themselves between charmingly hazy (and often abbreviated) hooks and verses. The latter, in particular, feels like a promising direction for iamforest, cinematic, infectious, and tastefully accessible. Armies and Air Raids is immersive music, a collection that can be enjoyed for its craft or for the pretty world it creates.
Stream and download Armies and Air Raids below.
