Corey Fuller — Break

Known as one half of Illuha, Corey Fuller is going alone for his solo release on 12k, Break. Synthy, evocative, and emotional, this solo album captures the soul and spirit of Corey's artistic expression. With the piano often as the centerpiece of each song, Fuller is able to express his emotions with ease, as if the ivories are an extension of his own body. Purposeful and deliberate, Break is a wonderful way to dip into another's artistic energy and experience things through his being.

Mixing layers like waves of different colors, Corey Fuller creates new sounds by unexpected combinations of tones and textures. Often times soft and thoughtful, and others crispy and futuristic, Break manages to blend all of these elements together flawlessly. The way the alien soundscape of "Seiche" fades out and "Lamentation" begins would come off as tracks off of two different albums. When the synths come in, Fuller's plan becomes clear, and the solute is absorbed. Bringing these two worlds together, classic, acoustic piano (maybe) with its distant ancestor, the synthesizer, working in harmony, differently, but towards the same goal. "IllviÝri" follows this approach, but puts more emphasis on the piano. This time, the waves of noise wash back and forth, distant and delicate, adding a crooked texture to this sparse and even instrument. High notes randomly interspersed give the feeling of a long lost female vocalist chiming in with her ghostly tones. "Look Into The Heart Of Light, The Silence" starts off the second side much like the end of the first. The piano sets the mood and forms the basis for the other instruments to gather and tell their tales. Long in form (like "Seiche," the opener on Side A), everything has its time to grow, mature, and live its life within the free constraints of the song. Soft and sumptuous, Side B starts off on very solid footing. Taking things to a higher, spiritual level, "A Hymn for the Broken" is like the loving epitaph for the traveler having gone through Break before turning into "A Handful of Dust." The circle of life is complete. The most somber of the songs on the album, "Dust" is a wonderful way to close this evocative album.

Corey Fuller's first solo release on 12k, Break, is two lovely sides of key driven beauty. Matching old and new, present and future, Break deftly brings together many worlds and many sounds. The perfect length for many spins, Break releases more and more secrets upon each listen. Well constructed and wonderfully lush, Corey Fuller's latest is a treat for sure.