The Fundamental Sound is a 1-man band spearheaded by instrumentalist/producer Dan Klug. The latest project titled Seconds is an 8 track body of work that uses live instrumentation with layered arrangements.

 

“Daydreamer” is a blissful modern jazz piece made up of pulsating bass lines, a bright tone and gritty drums that all come together like peas in a pod. The slow build-up and dynamic arrangement bear fruit as the track progresses.  Pulling all the stops,  the producer throws in vibrant chord changes, rousing drum fills laced with intensity and vigour. Next is “FG Boogie,” a bluesy piano-driven piece that evokes nostalgia and the warmth of summer. The Wurlitzer 200 electric piano sets the tone with its warm qualities creating an engaging and energetic ambiance. The drums are punchy and add an extra oomph to the track. In “Comfort Food,” Dan Klug goes for a laidback and relaxing aesthetic that captures the feeling of watching a daytime cooking show. The keys are bright and warm, but the kicker is how he puts a playful spin as the progression of the track.  The next song, “Rigby” is somewhat hard to pin down to one genre as the groove has a Motown-pop bounce and one can hear a Gospel-soul tinge on the keys. It does evoke the 50s soul music in many ways, especially in the arrangement style.

 

The project continues to bubble with quite a vast range of sounds and musical styles that speak to the producer’s versatility as a musician. Tracks like “Matron Song” and “Summer Storm” showcase his knack for the keys as those two tracks are driven by it. The former is upbeat and uplifting while the latter is sombre and reflective. “Song for Life” allows audiences to relax and dream a little. The track is ladened with a soothing piano chord that is sustained throughout the track with a mellow drum groove that adds a sturdy bounce to it. The project closes out with “The Long Road Home,” a mid-tempo piece with a bittersweet vibe that brings the project full circle. The keys have a rumbling tone and the bass-driven drums add a subtle grittiness to the track but overall, it’s a blissful instrumental that offers some sort of solace.

 

Overall, Seconds provides quite a lot for lovers of instrumentals to unravel. The genre-bending approach is just one aspect of it and when we look at the overall musicianship, arrangement and mixing approaches, we can only add that it’s brilliant from start to finish.

 


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