For the past few months we’ve been collaborating with Samuel Vandiver of Corwin Trails to help bring his latest release, ‘93EP, to the stage. Since he was one of the first artists to appear on Archaic Horizon, we are especially pleased that he returns with such a captivating and beautifully-made album. A focus on brevity, on moments in time, has enabled the exploration and development of the details; the result is an intricately-woven and spirited release that will see you reaching for the rewind button time and again.

Opening the time capsule that is ‘93EP plunges us immediately into the past with a showy fanfare. As if directed by a kid composer, the songs seem to approach the boundary of what could be considered “cheesy” electronic music, but they never cross the line. Each passing second brings something new and exciting; indeed, the pace is such that you’ll find yourself missing compelling plot developments and wishing for repetition, for clarification, to make the moment last that little bit longer.

As you’d expect from Corwin Trails, these songs are heavily narrative in essence. Maybe not linear, or traditionally structured, but they are nonetheless filled with all the drama and special effects that make for a good show. More often, rhythmic samples, instead of beats, punctuate the music: recordings of children reading aloud, or clips that express youthful charm, articulate the mood of each track. All material carefully selected from the artist’s own home videos to compose these vignettes of his formative years.

Much like opening a closet filled with forgotten relics of childhood, tattered and worn from their repeated use, these songs tap into memories that were long-abandoned or forgotten. Touching on a spectrum of emotions without being forceful, they are perceptive and thought-provoking. Certain sonics will trigger moments of clarity in reflecting on your own past; the sheer variety, and authenticity, of feelings played-out aims to facilitate this. The album’s success here, and in its production of grandiose vignettes, makes it a perfect, and welcomed, return to Archaic Horizon for Corwin Trails.