Dirty D – Solar Sail (2022)
If you need to get away from the stress of life, you might want to journey with Dirty D through his EP Solar Sail. The EP brings the best elements of jazz, hip-hop and classic bass to a relaxing flow that lifts the weight of the world from your shoulders. Using the power of the sun, the music burns away the negativity of life, leaving you floating on a sea of tranquillity.
With some lo-fi and chilled sensibilities added to the music, the EP uses a space theme to travel to an inner space where you can feel at peace. This journey of tranquillity comes from the saxophonist mind of Dirty D who teams up with Dubl A for some ground-breaking bass lines. Hitting us with a chill hop sound, this travelling club player is showcasing just what he has to offer.
The title track ‘Solar Sail’ opens the EP with the first touch of chilled space energy. The cascade of glittering tones relaxes you, only for the bass to twang and catch you in the current of sound. The saxophone calls beautifully through the soundscape to take your hand and keep you in the current of the sound. The beats bring a touch of hip-hop to a really chilled saxophone-driven sound that allows the weight of life to drop from your shoulders. As you listen to the track, you will feel a light energy slowly fill your senses and the heaviness of the world drip from your muscles, leaving them loose and relaxed. This is the perfect opening track to the EP as it not only sets the tone for what is to come, but relaxes you completely.
‘Sonic Microgravity’ has an almost raindrop feeling to the opening like you are hearing the drip of rain off leaves. The bass brings a rich touch to the lower levels of the track, while the saxophone takes on a completely different feeling to the last track. There is a more lethargic vibe to this song that makes you think of days in bed with the window open, blowing a chilly breeze across your face. There is a sense of inner peace woven into the music that has you sinking heavily into your seat and feeling all your muscles relax. While relaxing, there is also a floating feeling that seems to be leading you to something even brighter and softer just around the corner.
The strings that open ‘Stellar Atmosphere’ are met by a strange jazzy hip-hop vibe. It is an interesting sound that instantly grabs your attention and makes you want to hear more. As you venture further into the song, you are transported to a jazz club where you can chill as the band plays. As you chill in the club, the lower levels of the music bring a new vibe that is more modern while also quite lo-fi. This is the track of the EP that really brings the true meaning of chill hop to life, as it fuses the base elements of each genre for an enjoyable movement. The hip-hop beats have you lightly bopping to their sound, while the chilled jazzy tones keep you relaxed.
‘Orbital Velocity’ brings a nighttime vibe to the EP, making you think of a star-filled sky that you can look at and not worry about anything. As with the last track, there is a great mixture of melodic elements, but it hits in a very different way. The beats fill the low levels but invite you to sit back into them. Over these beats is a saxophone that seems to be telling you a timeless tale that you can only appreciate in the late night when you have no other worries on your mind. It is a stunning song that makes you want to close your eyes to soak up what the saxophone has to say. The layered arrangement is also wonderful as it furthers the overall feeling of the song.
The EP comes to a close with ‘Bootsback Burn’ which brings a light feeling to the opening. The delicate tones of the opening twang and glide on the wings of the guitar line. Providing the air current for the guitar to glide is the saxophone that is so soft you can’t help but feel at ease while listening to it. A warble of hip-hop beats weaves through the soundscape, but this just adds a further softness to the single. If the rest of the EP didn’t have you relaxed and heavy limbed, this song is able to do it all on its own. The dance of the melodic elements is fantastic and showcases the beauty of each style.
Dirty D has your muscles relaxing and your limbs heavy with relaxation as he fills the tracks of Solar Sail with the beauty of chill hop. Each track has a different feeling and unique style, but the chilled vibes remain the same. By the end of the EP, you will feel like you are awakening from a perfect sleep, relaxed and ready to face the world.
Find out more about Dirty D on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
