John Silas - Water Sign EP

Astrologically speaking, it’s said that water signs are characterized by their intuition, sensitivity and depth of emotion. John Silas’s work is innately imbued with these qualities. Composed of four original tracks (along with two additional mixes), the producer and instrumentalist’s debut EP, Water Sign, is largely joyously attuned to the dance. Yet these compositions diverge into moments of quieter introspection evocative of a kind of personal chronicle. For John, who’s seen more than his share of nomadic movement buoyed by periods of meditative creativity, it’s a reflection of lived experience: a journey that’s synthesized the influences of childhood Soul Train episodes, adolescent hip-hop sample spotting, tutelage on the MPC2000XL, collaboration with extended family within the Detroit dance music community, record shop clerkdom, and his current citizenship on the planet of nouveau Brooklyn. It’s also an approach entirely at home within the ethos of Love Injection Records - an outpost that’s long championed sounds that span the visceral expanse.
Water Sign’s heart, “Boundaries,” is exquisitely representative of John’s ability to tap into this emotive wellspring. Commencing with a four-chord piano phrase over a steady 4/4 kick and wonderfully jittery hi-hats, it gradually builds - adding bass, vocal snippets, and claps - into exultant synth soloing reminiscent of disco auteur Patrick Adams. But rather than live in that euphoria, mid-way through the track John modulates the rhythm, melody and sonic palette - shifting to electric piano, percussion, and whistles - towards something somewhat less clearly defined, what he calls “hues of vulnerability.” The musical arrangement mirrors the dynamic of falling in and out of love, and ultimately healing. “It was a personal letter to myself for closure,” he says of the impetus for the track. “Facing reality. There’s nothing to hold on to, let go. A reminder that, hey it’s all going to be okay, take a breath, find realignment, be there for yourself.”
“Cyber Dreams,” on the other hand, revels in lush escapism. Riding surging waves of keyboards and Domenica Fossati’s impassioned flute playing, it pauses to consider the wisdom of a sampled spoken voice positing, “To discover or not to discover, that is the question.” Then, after crescendo-ing in volume and intensity, it recedes back to an ambient calm. Detroit stalwart DJ/producer Patrice Scott lends an unmistakably Motor City touch to his remix of the track - infusing some on-the-one brawn to counter the original’s beauty. Musically inspired by one of John’s heroes, the late beloved producer Paul Johnson, “Foster Child” flips a shared sample source with the Chi-town legend into a moment of exuberance and acknowledgment. “Nasty” is very simply self-descriptive, an infectious all-too-brief jam session-like 
workout featuring Marquinn Mason’s robust saxophone. (A digital-only “No Sax” mix presents a more stripped down alternate arrangement of percussion, drum and bass.)
And while the soul within these recordings betrays John’s trust in organic moments over overthinking, he’s characteristically modest about his own process and the sounds it yields: “I’m genuinely surprised that others enjoy my music because my intentions when creating are exploratory, tapping into the spiritual connection that transcends time. It’s a boundless sea of information. I yearn to be a fish. I’m slowly evolving gills.” Water Sign is an exciting stage in that evolution.