Rose

Dark times can cause certain pieces of music to mean a whole lot more to people. Music can help a listener escape their worldly problems for a few minutes, it can help clear a space in the mind to concentrate on an issue at hand, or it can put the worries of life into perspective. For me personally, Enzalla's new track "Rose" does all three.

The second track out of two on his new Elegiae EP, "Rose" is a beautifully stripped back downtempo piece which I don't think anyone else could have pulled off so well, and let me tell you why:

Firstly, not many ambient/downtempo producers have the control over their music that Enzalla does. The arp riff in the intro of the track is simple but says exactly what it means to and fits the sound assigned to it like a glove. What's more, Enzalla's sound design background means you know for sure that pluck has been synthesised from scratch, and you can tell. There's something unplaceable about it's soft-yet-definite feel that sounds unmistakeably unique. The arp is allowed to shine for the whole of the first half of the track, being only gently layered with pads until halfway through the chorus when a new lead takes the spotlight.

Secondly, Enzalla's melodic flair is one of a kind, making itself well and truly known in the second half of the track where the drum pattern fades to usher in a stunningly-composed string section. Not allowing itself to get carried away, the chord progression fulfils it's purpose and then quits while it's ahead; nothing in the track is repeated to the point of monotony.

Enzalla's exquisite sound design coupled with his unbelievable composition well and truly sets him apart. "Cobalt", "Iceland", "Valse Of The Hidden Star", "Rose"; the list of timeless, beautiful melodies simply keeps growing. Over the years he has amassed a large fanbase but I still believe he is vastly underrated, so I urge you to listen to his discography.

Why not start by listening to the whole EP here: