Ted Murray
Contributing Writer
Brooklyn’s finest synth son, Maxo (Max Coburn), returns from the grave to provide us with “Skyriser,” a new and improved pop-i, unpredictable, Nintendo sound. All listeners are sure to be set in a trance of dance and reminiscence of adventures both on Earth and with Kirby in the Fountain of Dreams.
We begin our journey with a soft staccato hop, bouncing from reverbed echo to a direct ear-drum blast. The song titled “Plushlines,” the first on the EP, is an immediate taste of what Maxo is all about. The melodicism of Maxo’s tunes are remnant of swindail, or 2000s Prince, a song development that is as unpredictable as a Christopher Nolan film.
The relentless and ever changing melodies and progressions leave no room for boredom. On “Grow Wings,” my personal favorite tune on the EP, the introduction to the song is a blast of uncompromising rhythms that settle into a beautiful groove. A groove that is shortly followed up by a steady buildup to the pinnacle of the tune, reinforced by a powerful saw lead guiding you with each hit. A feel leaves your body with no other option than to be fully invested in the glorious chaos occurring. A foreign sensation takes control of your facial expressions, and brings you into a state of relaxation and exhilaration in a full body experience brought back down to Earth with the incorporation of intensive bass and drum rhythmic tradeoffs.
Maxo teams up with Japanese producer Tomggg to create a whole new spin off of the original “Grow Wings,” in which we experience how diverse the brilliant licks and melodies Maxo creates can be when paired with the genius of Tomggg. This new look allows for a vibraphone and woodblock perspective that is unique to the other songs in the conglomerate. Both versions are provided within the EP. The Maxo and Tomggg combination is reminiscent of PC music’s Kane West and Danny L Harle.
The conclusion of the album is a conglomerate of all of the different songs that, as individual entities, are beautiful by themselves, but when combined together they make for the perfect EP teaser. As a whole, “Skyriser” is a must hear if you are unfamiliar with the works of Max Coburn. This might not be the kind of music that is ideal to study to, but if you’re in the mood to go on an intense, jam packed experience for a solid 30 minutes, look no further than Max Coburn’s newest release. As Kero Kero Bonito’s Sarah Bonito would put it, “It’s Pretty Great.”