In the struggle to bring mental health to greater public attention, music has undoubtedly played a key role. Whether they be pop-culture giants like Ariana Grande and Logic or indie artists like Mount Eerie and Sufjan Stevens, an overwhelming number of musician have come forth in the past few years with their stories of mental illness to spread awareness and offer support to fans in similar situations. UK electronica label Future Astronauts aims to continue this tradition of using creativity to make a social impact with Vessels VI – a 13-track compilation created as a charity project to raise funds for suicide and mental health awareness.
While most of the tracks on Vessels VI can be classified as ambient pieces, they offer enough diversity to stand apart and keep the record from being repetitive charmingly well. Some pieces work on a hip-hop inspired beat-driven style while some opt for glitchy, futuristic percussion; there are also compositions where the focus is on pure drone. Despite these little stylistic differences, each track flows into the next seamlessly, as if they’re all cut from the same cloth, to provide an immersive environment. The mood is relaxing and meditative throughout. While the opener Recordis eases us down with its sparse, lilting piano keys, Melting proves to be unexpectedly catchy owing to the guest vocals by Julia Barreto. Ersatz Dream swathes us in a blanket of airy synths whereas With Eyes Deeper Than The Ocean draws its appeal from its clever use of vocal samples. Together, the contributions of each artist on the compilation radiate the palpable warmth of being hugged by a loved one and being assured that everything will be alright – a feeling that we all need sometimes.
Favorite Tracks: No Fear, Melting, Ersatz Dream, Moment in Blue, With Eyes Deeper Than The Ocean
Track List
1. Blure – Recordis 03:38
2. Senbeii – No Fear 02:06
3. SORA – Melting feat. Julia Barreto 02:06
4. mu arae – Ersatz Dream 04:50
5. Stark – It’s ok 04:42
6. Orloe – Thousand Mile Stare 03:10
7. No Theory – Moment In Blue 02:37
8. Solace – Alone (The Longest) 02:27
9. Charles And The Fury – Last Goodbye 04:52
10. Poolz – With Eyes Deeper Than The Ocean 05:21
11. Bluereso – Panic & Propulsion 03:57
12. 100 Day Delay & Soular Order – Century 04:28
13. Michael FK – Lighthouse 03:50
Related Links
Future Astronauts’ Website
Future Astronauts on Facebook
Future Astronauts on Twitter
Future Astronauts on SoundCloud
Future Astronauts on Instagram
Future Astronauts on BandCamp
Future Astronauts on Spotify