Sea People (LP) - Dylan Tauber (EDM) Dylan Tauber splashes into 2023 with the hypnotic new concept album “Sea People”, a journey through the depths of the ocean on which you will find some pleasant pop gems. Mostly instrumental, the 11 track meditation on the mysteries of all things aquatic is bookended by “Swimming”, leading with the remix, and between dives into the depths of various pockets of the ocean.

The man behind this immersive experience is Dylan Tauber, an award winning and visionary electronic musician, who has been producing music since he began his prolific 26 year career. In addition to releasing 17 critically acclaimed transcendental electronica music albums, he has built a network of websites reaching over 5.5 million page views since 1996, and millions of video views.

Overall, the album is best described as an “experience”—something you listen to sequentially and in one sitting, allowing it into your ears almost as a guided meditation. At around 34 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and is the perfect length for a mid day “reset”. In many ways, we feel like the track is a perfect compliment to the mindfulness movement, as the hypnotic quality of the tracks help you dive deeper into yourself and reclaim your center. We’re not doctors over here, but we do feel comfortable prescribing “Sea People” to those with anxiety, racing thoughts or really anyone who just take a moment to breathe and chill out. The album is certainly soothing for the soul.

Production wise, the mixing is top notch, with an expected complement of instruments for the genre. Some 90s house top percussions with the driving synth chords helping navigate the piece. Notably, Dylan focuses on musicality over production tricks—foley sounds, FX punches and other modern production gimmicks are spare to nonexistent—which brings a quiet confidence to the overall record. With over 2 decades in the game, Dylan certainly knows what he’s doing. Also (thankfully) absent is the kick that’s twice as loud as the rest of the instruments, which seems to be in vogue these days, allowing the tracks to blend much more evenly into a holistic soundscape that is rich and buttery on the ears. There’s maturity to the project, for sure.

As the piece stands as a unified work, it’s difficult to pick apart individual tracks as they all ebb and flow into each other, so we’ll focus on the few that feature vocalists as they most lend themselves to single territory. With “Swimming”, both the original (which closes the album) and remix (which opens the album), Dylan quickly sets the sonic tone and concept of the story he’s telling, all with the aid of a female vocalist whose voice is the epitome of a siren song, luring you into the murky waters. Light and airy, yet pointed, she glistens over each version of the track, with a soothing innocence. There’s no pushing here, the vocalist truly floats on the track and lets the momentum of the churning tides of instrumentation carry her along. It really tells you everything you need to know about the project as you start to dive in.

Our favorite track, however, is the Top 40 radio friendly “The Sea Remembers Its Own”, with a reedy, layered male vocalist sitting front and center, with the instrumentation truly stepping out of the spotlight for the only time on the record. The song is a hit, and feels perfectly at home in the modern dance era. The melody is extremely catchy, and the production on the vocal sizzles. It’s a midtempo drenched in melancholy, centered on a meditative chant.

Overall, with a clear vision and expert production, “Sea People” soars. Well, swims. :)