Hurricanes, Floods, Genocides, and Fires. It’s safe to say that if this is just January, then we’re in for a hell of a ride. People are just now getting over everything that happened in 2024. Then the TikTok ban. What else can happen in 2025 that already hasn’t? It's a world of uncertainty with bad news after bad news. The world needs something to look forward to. Something to dance to, something to get their minds off this godforsaken planet. AP=Chem is doing just that with the release of their EP Imed=3. AP=Chem is a collective of two collaborating songwriters from Oklahoma City. Anthony Mahon, who also was in the band "The Gentle Art of Floating". And Eric Gorman, who also was a band member of "The Gentle Art of Floating" and also the band "Trap Queen". They describe their music as Inexplicable Modern Existential Dread. They have released multiple singles as well as their two EPs "Imed=1 and "Imed=2". Get to know the band that's changing the way we experience music. Right out the gate, track one, The Golden Path takes you on this journey. It's the beat that grabs hold of you with its infectious high-energy. This eclectic guitar that just takes control of the beat, and the hard-hitting drum and high hats, the crash cymbals that give it that rock band feel. This is my Guitar Hero. A monotonic voice plays in the background sounding as if he’s doing some lecture that is luckily being drowned out by the music. The only thing that can save us from the politics and the classes. And although the voice tries to break through, its the music that grows louder and takes control. Because the music is the people! Slick Black Pools, that’s a hell of a title, and it's a hell of a track. Its electric guitar is bold and in your face. It takes me back to those early ‘80s Retro movies like "Weird Science" or "Nerds”, especially the talent show scene. Classic! I caught myself multiple times just bopping my head and just moving to the beat. That sensational retro 80s club music where everybody was doing coke. The synth machine is the star of the show as it gets its spotlight moment and produces these edgy experimental sounds combined with the drum pad machine, this sounds like some expensive equipment. Another noticable part of the song is the airy voice singing, but rather than singing a verse or chorus the voice wades in the background like an instrument that blends into the beat. This song is arranged beautifully. Track 3’s title breaks the rules of traditional spelling, Lumme which is a phonetic way of spelling the words ‘love me ', it feels like this hip-hop boom bap beat mixed with a melodic voice that repeats, “She don't love me.” This is more like a traditional vocal song complete with verses and a chorus. The track keeps you engaged with the different vocal effects such as the vocal filter that makes the voice sound like he’s yelling through a phone. Love will make you do that. Other times the voice sounds like it’s in a slow drug induced state that’s reminiscing about a relationship. Love will make you do that too. The EP takes a hardcore shift when it gets to the 4th track called, One Week in Japan. which is on par since Japan has a huge punk rock scene. Tokyo's iconic punk venues like Antiknock in Shinjuku, Earthdom in Shin-Okubo, or even Osaka with its own set of legendary punk venues, such as Fandango and King Cobra. This track fits perfectly in the Japanese punk rock scene. That guitar gives the track this dark eerie feeling, walking on the beat like Micheal Myers walking with a knife or maybe a samurai sword. This track is perfect for an anime intro. There’s this sheer gritty-rawness and one of my favorite parts is where they just rock out, and how it then transitions to this hard-hitting kick drum. This is one of those trips only the best of chemists could create. The last track on the EP is “We Loved a Lifetime’s Worth”. It feels like this ultimate crescendo of sounds as this piano and staticky bass hold its elongated notes, mix that with a crying guitar and you've got yourself a soundtrack. The synthesizer comes in like an 8-bit Zelda mission and creates this hero effect. Or maybe it’s this album that is the Hero. Each bar is taking you through the hero's journey that ultimately ends with nothing short of triumph. Let the end credits roll. Because this is the way you end an album. It’s only January. The world has seen so much. But what’s gonna get us through this year is being free, and that’s what AP=Chem is showing us with their new EP Imed=3. It’s a freedom to not be bound by anyone’s expectations. You can do rock, you can do rap. You can take everything you love and create a something that’s for the people, because Imed=3 is for the people. The feeling that you get from this album can not be faked or made with AI, it's a music that can only be created through feeling and experiencing. That's what this album is. So, dance, laugh, and love for a lifetime. Because this is what the world needs now more than ever. Make sure you stream the EP Imed=3 from AP=Chem and let us know what you think. Make sure you follow AP=Chem on their social media: Instagram: @apchemband Facebook: AP=Chem Spotify: AP=Chem YouTube: AP=Chem BandCamp: AP=Chem SoundCloud: AP=Chem
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The evolution of music is undeniable. Just look at this past Grammy’s and the fierce competition for Best Dance/Electronic Album. This can be attributed in a huge part to the Pandemic that kept us all inside, so it’s no wonder that now genres like Techno, Electronic, and House music have made a had a huge impact on pop culture. From Beyonce’s new album "Rennaissance" to Drake’s album “Honestly Nevermind”. This category of music is feeling the effects of a market being saturated due to a high demand. But the great thing about music is that the true fans can see through the bandwagoneers, and the real music, from the real artists, is usually the only thing that lasts. AP=Chem is one of the real bands that is looking to take their music all across the world and show why their true creators in this space and not just another band looking to ride the wave. Their looking to shock the world with new album Imed=2. AP=Chem is a collective of two collaborating songwriters from Oklahoma City. Anthony Mahon, who also was in the band "The Gentle Art of Floating". And Eric Gorman, who also was a band member of "The Gentle Art of Floating" and also the band "Trap Queen". They describe their music as Inexplicable Modern Existential Dread. They have released multiple singles as well as the 2021 EP "Imed=1 Inexplicable Modern Existential Dread" and their now follow "EP Imed=2". The first track off the album is called "Please Don’t Make A Dance Song (Out of My Plane Crash)", which is really ironic. This 70s infused high energy track just takes over. It’s like looking thru a TV cycling through 70s themed shows and commercials. Back when you could take drugs on a plane and be a part of the mile high club. The clashing of the sounds dance unapologetically in the listener's mind. How can you not dance to this? Throughout the you hear a voice that is seems to be a flight stewardess. Her fragmented voice layers on top of the beat. But near the end another voice comes, this time a male voice that seems to be an air traffic controller that guides the listener through the freeform nosedive of synthesizers and piano chords and crashes right into track 2.
Track 2 is called "Forensic Homicide". The track starts with an ominous bass guitar that blares through the speaker followed by the resting piano keys. But it’s the eclectic guitar that then pulling you as if cupid himself were playing. And it's the drums that let you know that your heart is still beating. It really gives off this forbidden love type of feel. Just listening to the track your mind elopes with the beat not caring of time nor space. This feeling grows as the infactuated crooner sings, “Disappear tonight, we’re never coming back here". The listener then rides the guitar cruising through the rest of the track. Forensic Homicide is a highpoint of the album.
By the time we get to track 3 "House Not Home" we are at the mid-point of the album. The track has this dark inviting feel to it. It plays out like the part right before the killer is about to make his move. The vocals tuck tightly behind the beat as support rather than the main ingredient. They go in and out leaving enough room and suspense that you have question will it return? This track highlights their songwriting abilities with a more lyric song structure. There’s a lot of ironic bars in this track for instance; “It’s a big house, off the interstate, a nice neighborhood, with an iron gate”. I just think there’s a lot of irony in having a big house that no one can see because it’s in this secluded area and neighborhoods are usually inviting but an iron gate suggests this one isn’t. But maybe that's also meant by House Not Home.
The 4th track on the album is "Tyrel Slide". The track brings the energy of the album back up. It’s pounding bass and synthesizers draw you in. The beat is beautifully layered which creates these special moments in the track. The elongated piano notes create these paths that the synthesizers can then go and roam, while the drums are like the barriers that keeps everything inbounds. The track takes you on a quest. I can imagine a montage of a hero training or the long journey the hero has to take before he gets to the boss at the end of the story. The track is short but that is also the beauty in it. Knowing it’s short means you appreciate it that much more.
The last track on the album is "Penny Dreadful". This is the finale, with that comes a combination of where we’ve come and also how far we still have to go. Maybe a Imed=3…? Penny Dreadful has this diabolical feeling to it. There’s a voice that layers on top of the instruments that sounds like an archeologist journaling his most recent discovery. Which would be this EP. Again a montage of a scientist doing calculations and writing down theories comes to mind. The hard-hitting drums keep the thoughts organized as the synthesizer's loop around the harmonized organs. This is how you want to end an album.
There you have it. AP=Chem's latest EP Imed=2. Here are some facts about the EP. There are 5 songs with a total playback time of 23 minutes and 49 seconds. The shortest song on the album Tyrel Slide comes in at 2 minutes and 42 seconds. My favorite track on the EP is Forensic Homicide, it’s just a vibe and kind of tugs at the heart strings, also Valentine’s Day is around the corner so this would be a good theme song. What I liked most about the EP is that it took you through highs and lows. That’s what a great album does. It’s able to be played through the highs and lows of life. All-in-all I think AP=Chem did what they set out to do create inexplicable music in these modern times of existential dread. And who knows. Hopefully there will be a Imed=3.
Make sure you stream the EP Imed=2 from AP=Chem and let us know what you think. Make sure you follow AP=Chem on their social media: Instagram: @apchemband Facebook: AP=Chem Spotify: AP=Chem YouTube: AP=Chem BandCamp: AP=Chem SoundCloud: AP=Chem |
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