We don’t know much about Chicago’s “fantasy-inspired artist/producer/recluse” Seablaze, but that just makes sorting through the artist’s sonic ephemera that much more fun. There’s clearly a playful seapunk influence shining through “Pastel Spells,” a new track set for release via Moscow’s Hyperboloid later this month, but defining the song by a dubious “internet subgenre” seems reductionist. Contrary to the song’s title, Seablaze clearly dreams in neon, though he also demonstrates an understanding of the intricacies of rhythm, as the hi-hats in his production pointedly bounce back and forth between swung and straight time. The arrangement’s frenetic bounce is suddenly broken when the tune opens up to a meadow of digital harp strums, and the listener can finally hear that the melody—when freed of its MIDI baggage—holds a fair amount of beauty in its rainbow-colored arc.

Pastel Spells