'Carnival' is the debut EP from Jonny Litten, and it's a collection that oozes brilliance. The four tracks, recorded in just under a year, brim with electro-pop vibes, rushing towards your heartstrings and lacing them with ambitious instrumentals. The opener 'Ratuir', which you can stream above, sees magnificent synths thunder across a white soundscape, expelling chilled snow like dust from behind them. That being said, there is a warmth emitted from their presence. A certain throbbing comfort that fills you from head to toe, vibrating through your very being and lulling your restless eyes shut. A momentary lapse of consciousness, yet one that feels infinite. Affected vocals compliment the synths wonderfully, warping and twisting through a grand ballroom of beats. Every note is individual, but a cosmic alignment seems to bring them together, merging and embracing and coaxing your feet to tap. The production here is simply fantastic, and no sooner does the abrupt finish of 'Ratuir' quench this sonorous river's flow than 'Black' pushes it on. A shorter but no less stunning track, the clearer synths take centre stage. Void of vocals, the power and refinement of the unwavering frequencies race across evening sky. Clouds explode, raining down drops of pure joy. A certain, underlying sadness does however prevail through every song, offset by the euphoria of it all but still very much present. You can almost feel Jonny's willing emerge from the music on 'Carnival', a year of work worthy of every scrap of praise we can offer it. You can almost taste the tangible prayers of Litten, a man proud and humble and passionate, yet I fear far from the recognition he deserves for such a creation. 'Somewhere Else' glimmers with a much more delicate touch, softer lo-fi sensibilities waving in an extremely subtle chiptune-esque breeze. The glittering synth melody of 'Forest' is beautiful too. Nothing else. Just, beautiful. A strange lament, epitomised by the gorgeous harmonised vocals, lifts the mood. Layered sound crafts a vast world all to itself. No people. No noise. No hassle. Just Jonny Litten with his thoughts, expressed in a manner quite lovingly concluded. The sudden finish on some of the other songs is a flaw, yes, yet one almost completely blotted out by the bulk of 'Carnival's fifteen minutes. Available in a name-your-price fashion here, I urge exploration!
