Great Square – Lvl Me (2020)
Tension is something that builds over time until you reach the precipice and come crashing down. This emotional journey is the basis of ‘Lvl Me’ by Great Square which focuses on the disparity of love. Through the experimental soundscape, you are taken through the increase in tension until your gut drops and you are brought back down to the crushing reality of the situation.
To capture these intense moments, John Wilhelm, the man behind the square, mixes ambient soundscapes with folk fusion. An unconventional structure tops it all off for an experimental sound you are not going to forget any time soon. It is an ambitious first release for this musical project.
‘Lvl Me’ hits you with the experimental fusion from the first moment. While soft, the opening has this array of sounds that combine to create an ambient soundscape similar to the white noise we are all used to. At first, you think that there is no solid thread keeping you hooked in the melody, but this is not actually true. There is this light beat in the background that steadily taps throughout the single. Over this, you encounter a range of instrumentation and sounds from jazzy vibe guitars to folky rhythms, wind chimes and, very faintly, a cricket.
The vocals are as experimental as the melody. Wilhelm’s voice melds with all the ambient sounds to form an additional instrument as he lightly builds the tension of the track. There are moments when his voice wavers which are so interesting and perfectly fit the overall strangeness of the track. There is an almost self-deprecating feel to the vocals at times before an acceptance of the state of things.
‘Lvl Me’ is the wonderfully weird debut single from Great Square full of experimentation and ambient soundscapes. You never quite know what is going to happen on the track, but this actually makes it more enjoyable. You could easily have it playing on repeat as you get lost in the gentle cacophony of sounds.
Find out more about Great Square on his Instagram and Spotify.
