NYS Music 20​15

Tag: Vaporeyes

  • Hearing Aide: Vaporeyes ‘Swell’

    Swell

    Syracuse experimental group Vaporeyes released their fifth studio album titled Swell on November 11, offering listeners a reservoir of jazz-infused jams to meditatively contemplate.

    Vaporeyes is composed of Jonas Reddy-Nicholson (Warp Drive Operator), Shannon Zory (Groovemaster), Sean “Chid Law” Cadley (Keeper of the Beats) and Jamie “Jyms” Tynan (Facemelter). Two songs feature Stephanie Donato on saxophone. Swell was recorded and mastered by William Nicholson at JoBop Records in Syracuse. Released in combination with the new album is a live recording titled An Evening with Vaporeyes from their July 8, 2015, show at Funk ‘N’ Waffles Downtown. Included with the recording are extra downloads displaying video footage from a September 5 performance at the same venue shot by Jason Vincent.

    Swell unfurls the opening song, “Precipice,” with a short spoken word quandary uttered by album cover artist Yegor Mikushkin. The final line feeds into the dreamlike opening of “Precipice,” postulating, “This tense suspense has driven me insane/This glance, this trance, must all just be a dream.” The tense suspense of the first half of the song mirrors that sensation some feel in anticipation of large family gatherings before flutes of champagne and goblets of wine douse the initial discomfort in an avalanche of warm fuzzies. Midway through, “Precipice” serenely eases into a savory instrumental jazz piece. It’s ambient qualities could melt into the background of an indulgent holiday party as drunken family members adorned in matching knit sweaters lounge lazily around a fire guzzling mulled wine and gorging on an array of delicate cheeses.

    If “Precipice” is the anthem for that all-too-familiar holiday party progression, then “Exo Robot” could thematically epitomize the angsty mission-driven mischievousness of the dreaded holiday shopping season. It calls to mind scenes similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bloodthirsty hunt to locate a Turbo Man action figure for his beloved son in the 1996 thriller, Jingle All the Way.

    “Spirutine’s” mid-album playfulness embodies that happy-go-lucky sense of wonder coursing through young spirits on Christmas morning. “Retrograde” imparts a cathartic effect, winding down the sequence of energetic jams with a melody fit to doze off under the comfort of cozy blankets, sheltered from winter’s chill.

    Key Tracks: Precipice, Spirutine, Retrograde

  • Vaporeyes and Mister F Illuminate the Dance Floor

    High energy and good humor characterized the evening of Saturday September 5 at Funk ‘n Waffles Downtown as Albany-based Mister F and Syracuse group Vaporeyes dished out mystical reverberations of sonic opulence. Mister F, featuring Matt Pickering (Mr. M) on drums/samples/vocals, Scott Hannay (Mr. S) on keyboards/vocals/vocoder, Ben Pickering (Mr. B) on bass/vocals and Andrew Chamberlaine (Mr. A) on guitar/vocals, channeled a Particle-esque vibe, while displaying plenty of original character for the audience.

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    After an energetic performance of “Machine,” Pickering announced sarcastically, “that song’s not about robot voices at all.” Hannay quickly followed up, speaking purposefully into the mic in a distinctly altered voice, “no, not about robot voices at all…” Although the band freely jokes around on stage, they take their actual musicianship quite seriously. Pickering frequently spices up his intricate drum beats with clever pauses and commanding breakout jams.

    After finishing an impressive jam halfway through their set, Hannay walked over to Pickering, momentarily commandeering a drumstick to serve as a bottle opener before immediately returning to his post and fluidly sliding into the next jam. At it’s conclusion Pickering called out to the crowd, “We’re Mr. F, give it up for beer!” Members from Vaporeyes scattered amongst the unfortunately sparse crowd, including bassist Shannon Zory and his girlfriend who had plenty of dance room to face each other and playfully weave their heads back and forth in a snake-like fashion, clearly enjoying the music.

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    Vaporeyes, composed of notably younger musicians than Mister F, certainly held their own on stage. With a slightly muddier, grungier sound, Jonas Reddy-Nicholson playing keys/synths, Shannon Zory slappin’ bass guitar, Sean “Chid Law” Cadley on drums, Jamie “Jyms” Tynan on guitar and Stephanie Donato playing saxophone delivered a string of equally dance-worthy tunes to listeners. As the evening progressed, the musicians called out to the crowd, “Is it still Saturday?” There were in fact ten more minutes before midnight, so they opted to play a number aptly titled “Saturday Song.” It carried a lighter, more ambient sound than some of their heavier jams and incorporated more prominent synth effects.

    Throughout the evening, Zory’s gilfriend mingled with the other bandmates’ girlfriends and snapped photos of the band’s performance, occasionally gesturing with a victory fist pump reminiscent of a golfer making a hole-in-one. The close-knit flock of dedicated followers supporting the members of Vaporeyes makes watching the band more gratifying, knowing their musical endeavors are supported by the ones they love.