The Clearing

Album review

The Twilite Tone's The Clearing is only the first full-length by Anthony Khan, a producer, DJ, and vocalist from Chicago who has accomplished much throughout his career, yet has managed to stay under the radar to most people outside of the music industry. He's worked closely with Common since the very beginning of both their careers, and he's co-produced Grammy-nominated recordings by Kanye West, John Legend, and Gorillaz, not to mention releases by Big Sean, Pusha T, and My Brightest Diamond. Underneath all of this, he's been producing house music since the late '80s -- one of his earliest co-productions (with Ernest Dion Wilson, aka No I.D.) can be heard on Gene Hunt's Chicago Dance Tracks compilation issued by Rush Hour in 2011, and Twilite Tone 12"s have appeared on UNO and Ubiquity. The Clearing is a joyous, exploratory fusion of synth-funk, instrumental hip-hop, fractured house, and sci-fi themes, mainly constructed using an Akai MPC sampler and a few synths. The tracks incorporate a few familiar samples (the deathless "This is a journey into sound" used during the intro, Billy Squier's "The Big Beat" at the start of "The Sound"), and generally have a comfortable, uplifting vibe to them. However, there are some sinister underpinnings, particularly related to robots and technological control. The wonky cyber-funk track "The Lite" bears playful samples about robots doing tricks, ending with a request to "Send our regards to HAL 9000." "Golden Silence" opens with a stiffly intoned "Greetings fellow robots" and reversed kick drums, then proceeds somewhat tensely, with sparse synths bubbling over a minimal bounce. Additionally, "N'Loveagain" begins with a clip of the police raid scene from Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message," and the track maintains a hint of apprehension, coming off like an aural side-eye. Other tracks are a bit more wistful, injecting the burbling synths and heavy breakbeats with expressions of a perpetual desire to be loved and share mutual affection. This is most obvious through the title "I Still Need Love," but also evident in the longing sentiments of tracks like "It's You//Issues," as well as the "sensuous woman" monologue sampled during "Baby Steps." The album boogies off into the night with a shortened instrumental version of the Twilite Tone's 2016 house single "Taxi Cab Confessions," which cleverly dissolves into locked vinyl crackle. Even though The Clearing touches on personal emotions and societal concerns, it's still an upbeat, fun record fit for partying as well as reflection.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo