Based On Misunderstandings 05 – Phil Gerus

Sonar Kollektiv presents: The genius of Phil Gerus. With this brand new 6-track EP, the first release for Gerus on a major label – Sonar Kolletiv can lay claim to introducing a large talent to a wide audience.

The Wikipedia definition of “Chillwave states: “Chillwave, sometimes also referred to as glo-fi, is a genre of music whose artists are often characterized by their heavy use of effects processing, synthesizers, looping, sampling, and heavily filtered vocals with simple melodic lines.“  Washed Out, Com Truise and Toro Y Moi have been heralded as its genre shifting leaders. Now, with Phil Gerus in the game, there’s an additional synonym for Chillwave.

This 23-year-old resident of Moscow, with an academic background in Classical piano and a big affection for jazz, expresses in music exactly what the Wikipedia article describes in words. Over the last three years Gerus has been releasing self-published music on the Net and on labels such as Fuse Lab (“Milk & Honey”) and Rhymast Music (“Ordinary Things”).

Why does a Russian pianist compose seductive, funky, melodic music that sounds as if it originated on the California Pacific coast?  Phil explains, “Mainly, when I compose music, I’m searching for sexy and swing grooves” And he definitely finds them!  The beats in “If Music Be The Food Of Love“ resemble waves breaking on coastal rocks; the soulful vocal rags wash up like driftwood; and here and there synth melody lines surface like swimming mermaids.

“Lust Escort” calls to mind legendary 80’s producers, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, or LA & Babyface celebrating a hallucinatory comeback. Would Surface, Cherrelle, Lisa Lisa & The Cult Jam or even Toni Braxton sound like Phil Gerus if they were making music today?

“Surfing The Waves“ – despite its distorted edit – is so much ahead of its time that for a short moment you’ll feel totally disoriented. It’s similar to the sensation of a swirling wave ripping you apart. A rising tide of genius! And if Mariah Carey is looking for a really futuristic sound for her next album, she should listen to “Don’t Kiss Me While I Am Swimming“ and immediately afterwards, get Gerus’ phone number. This Russian musician doesn’t even cringe from sampling saxophones. But then, after he chops up and passes his sounds through the reverb filter, everything is transformed in the end to one big, fantastic dream.

Alex Barck, A&R at Sonar Kollektiv, is surely not the only person who right now wants to dance and groove exclusively to Gerus’ style of chillwave. And many more fans will soon be saying the same thing! The worldwide success of Phil Gerus is immanent.

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