The best producers have a knack of seemingly being at odds with the music world that surrounds them but somehow manage to touch nerves with every fantastic package they create. Take the Portuguese artista de som Polido, who has just digitally released his latest album, Time Is When, jointly through his own Boyce Hatti imprint and as the inaugural release for the Chicago-based Lynn (a new label run by TMT writer Cookcook and former TMT editor Squeo).
The album shows Polido to be an unorthodox quality controller, as he delivers an absorbing balance of mystique and emotional tug throughout. It plays like a soundtrack without inhibitions, with vocal-free spaciousness, supremely laid-back instrumental drones, impeccably-placed dialogue and beat building/sampling, field recording, quiet electro-dub, and much more stacking into a towering overall sound. (Soundtracks without inhibitions…just the stuff you need to soundtrack losing yours!)
In addition to the digital release, a limited-to-120 CD digipak run of Time Is When is available for pre-order and ships at the end of June. Sample album opener ” Calibrado” down below, and preview the ENTIRE release by clicking here or here.
Finally, although he presents his monthly Dramgunt mix on the Portuguese-centric Rádio Quântica internet station, Polido will be performing an album release set in-person on June 14, when he opens for the awesome electronic “folk” nomad Elysia Crampton at Zé dos bois in Lisbon. All relevant info can be found here. So, if you’re nerves are so-touched (and/or you live around Lisbon), find a babysitter for those inhibitions of yours and get out there.
Time Is When tracklisting:
01. Calibrado
02. Ritual of Steam
03. Time Is When
04. Open Fire
05. CE/Fixed
06. Trait
07. Revelation JS1C
08. Lounge
09. Safe Hurdle
10. Gasp (feat. Meta Hirschl)
11. Crossed Out
12. Rest (feat. Ema)
13. Stuck in The Wind reprise
14. Coming to and Fro, Across the River, Hoping the Light Remains and the Shore Is Near
More about: Polido
