Not everyone goes to Huntington Beach to surf. Take Brian Kassan, for instance. While he does live in the sunny Californian town, he’d rather spend his time composing and producing the most ethereal, eclectic and leftfield records we have ever heard. A free-thinker and a sonic alchemist, Kassan is also a keen multi-instrumentalist, releasing music through his moniker Bloomfield Machine. ‘Copium’ is his latest work, a long album riddled with a wholesome blend of influences and genres.
Drawing equally from psychedelia as he does from new wave and vintage electronica, Bloomfield Machine doesn’t really abide by any limits or rules, instead letting his creativity wander freely wherever it might take the project. That’s how we get ‘Copium’, Brian’s 8th full-length release to date. The important disclaimer here is that such a personal and unique record has to be experienced first-hand, as it is truly impossible to describe in all its nuances and expansive flair.
Yet, the ethos behind the album is worth considering. This is mainly instrumental music, material packed with emotional catharsis and a high degree of escapism. This is art you can lose yourself to, a feeling perhaps shared by Bloomfield Machine himself: “I still marvel at the fact that these creations come out of me, take form, and help me make sense of being here. I listen back and always say to myself, ‘Where did that come from?’”
Recommended! ‘Copium’ is out now:
