Ehren Wright, better known in the bass community as SoDown, has been captivating audiences with his groovy saxophone-ridden style of dance music since his inception into the scene nearly a decade ago. Known for fusing a myriad of genres into a unique sound beaming with funky melodies and bass-heavy drops, the Colorado producer has curated a sonic experience like no other. Now, just weeks after dropping his debut album, Worlds Beyond SoDown is flying higher than ever and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Released on November 4, Worlds Beyond spans across 11 tracks as SoDown takes us down a beautifully vibrant and funkadelic journey through the cosmos and consciousness itself. From monstrous bass-heavy bangers to emotionally blissful tracks that sweep you away into euphoric bliss, he has launched his sound into new horizons and, in doing so, has once again pushed the envelope of dance music.
Worlds Beyond Represents the Human Experience
As soon as the intro, Existence begins, SoDown immediately captures your mind and propels you into existential thought as he layers Alan Watts’ infamous “Life By Analogy” quote over an atmospheric buildup that’s both meditative and awe-inspiring.
“We thought of life by analogy with a journey, a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end, and the thing was to get to that end, success or whatever it is, maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing, and you were supposed to sing or to dance while the music was being played,” the legendary philosopher recites as his words penetrate deep into your psyche. In today’s culture, we are so busy trying to get where we think we are supposed to be we forget to actually live.
When SoDown contemplated the concept of Worlds Beyond, he wanted to capture this notion and remind his listeners that life is not promised in this world, and the only thing guaranteed is death. Therefore it is essential to live every day to the fullest and experience all that life has to offer, from happiness to heartbreak, love, and hardship. “This is the first time I’ve put so much thought and effort into a concept. Memento Morí. This album represents my life’s experience so far. Joy, pain, love, and hardship. An exploration of the human experience. Life, death, and what’s beyond,” he explained in an Instagram post.
SoDown Explores a Multitude of Genres
It’s one thing to step outside your comfort zone as a producer and dive into new sounds and genres, but effortlessly blending those new sounds into one concise project is an entirely different entity. With Worlds Beyond, SoDown does just that. From fusing mind-bending bass and old-school funk on Take It Back to crafting the intoxicating future bass melodies of Phantom, Running Out, and All Go Wrong, all featuring the angelic vocals of Bailey Flores, he is able to take his sound to heights. But of course, he doesn’t just stop there. Makin’ Dem and Deep End blend hip-hip with enticing bass that stimulates your senses, while Gas Down with Ahee and Born I combines elements of DNB and freeform bass for a chaotic face-melting sonic experience.
Worlds Beyond Tells the Story of SoDown
In order to capture the human condition and the life we all endure, SoDown relies on expressing himself through his own experiences. While, as individuals, we have our own stories to tell, the human experience is intertwined in us all. From feelings of loneliness to lost love, triumph, and thoughts of our own mortality, SoDown explores emotions, feelings, and concepts that we can all deeply relate to. Then, with the final track Memento Mori, he brings it back full circle as he closes out with Alan Watts explaining the improbable reality of our existence. Yet, as improbable as life may be, there is nothing to worry about, so you might as well just start living.
“What worries us is that when we’re dead, there could be nothing at all forever. As if that was something to worry about before you were born, there was this same nothing at all forever, and yet you happened. And if you happened once, you can happen again,” Watts recites over a mesmerizing ethereal soundscape.
Through his own story and life experiences, SoDown reminds us all that whether or not life exists beyond this plane of reality, beyond this world, the present moment is all we have, so it’s crucial to experience this journey of life to the fullest.
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