TS Music – So Far (2022)
There are times when all you need to make your day better is some great melodic guitar music. Fortunately, that is exactly what TS Music has to offer with his EP So Far. Across the six tracks of the EP, he weaves a web of stunning guitar lines that flow from dream pop to heavy metal and retro soft rock. With a little something for everyone, it is an EP that you can easily relax to while soaking up the prowess of the instrument.
Tron Strule Aune, the multi-instrumentalist behind the music, hit the music scene as the guitarist for the band Cameltoe, who released an album in 2018. Since then, he has become the guitarist and songwriter for the band, Crave. With a small hiatus in their music, Aune turned to melodic guitar music in the past year and this EP is the first taste of what his solo music has to offer.
The EP opens with ‘Cosmic’ which draws you into the guitar-driven flows of the tracks. There is an expansive feeling to the opening line as it weaves out into the soundscape and draws you with it. This easy line is met by a heavier guitar line that brings a serious feeling of body to the track. The interplay between the two lines is wonderful as the initial line bolsters the new line, taking it to new heights. Through this movement, you are filled with a sense of soaring freedom with a tinge of anticipation. The main guitar line acts as the focal point of the track, but the accompanying instrumentation is wonderfully powerful in their own right. It is a fantastic start to the EP and really sets up the rest of the tracks, while giving you a taste of what Aune is able to do.
‘Faberge’ has a more laid-back vibe with the shuffling beats and the almost misty guitar line. From the depths of the fog of the opening walks the main guitar line, inviting you to join it. It is like a slow meander down a grey beach where you feel the cold touch of ocean-wet sand under your feet. It is a really relaxing track that lifts stress from your shoulders and opens your chest to let you breathe a little easier. As the main guitar line rises toward the cloudy sky, you feel the urge to close your eyes and soak up everything it has to offer. Resting beneath this is a secondary guitar line that is the slow walk with someone that you care about. There is a great feeling of companionship in the lower line that lets you know you are not alone as you feel the weight of life lift off you.
The drums and guitar lines that open ‘Mana’ have you swaying from side to side before you realise what has happened. The main guitar line reaches into your chest and tugs you forward into the tale it has to tell. While this opening is quite relaxing, it hits in a different way from the last track. The two guitar lines almost seem to be playing their own song as they weave in different directions, only to come together for a really melodic movement. This movement helps the story of the track which is open to interpretation, depending on what you read into the instrumentation. Regardless of the story you find, the melody is stunningly beautiful and soothes something in your chest you might not have realised was out of place. It is very easy to get lost in the track and be shocked when it comes to an end.
‘Systema Naturae’ has a jazzier vibe to the opening with a warmer darkness to the beats. This leads you to a rock guitar line that touches on retro with a serious modern flair. There is darkness in this track that creeps through the heavier guitar lines, bringing a weight to the sound. It is a churning weight that presses down on you. This weight is being fought by the higher guitar lines that urge you to push against the heaviness. As with the other tracks, the movement of the guitar lines creates a story where you just need to fill in the blanks. There is a sense of hope that comes through later as some of the heaviness is pushed back.
Classic rock tones fill the opening of ‘Tree of Life’ and mix with some light folk sensibilities. It is like you are in a misty wood walking toward a clearing with a sense of anticipation. As the guitar lines meet and dance together, there is a sense of wonder and awe, tempered by the feeling that you can’t speak loudly or you will break the atmosphere. The guitar starts to build into a golden light that has a delightfully empowering vibe to it that fills your veins with the energy of the music. This is a feel-good track that is packed with positive vibes and the feeling of something good happening or waiting just around the corner.
The EP comes to an end with ‘Windsor’ that picks up some of the darkness before mixing it with two very distinct melodic lines. The slight jangle of the lower levels is danced over by the meander of the main guitar line. There is a slightly reflective feeling to this track that has you sinking back into contemplations. As with the other tracks, the main guitar line seems to be telling you a story that is rather easy to fall into. The swirl of emotions that the instrumentation invokes is fantastic and leaves you feeling a mix of hopefulness and anxiety over what is going to happen or what has happened in the past.
TS Music uses the power of the guitar to draw us into the stunning instrumental tracks of So Far and the tales they have to tell. Each track has a very different feeling that showcases the versatility of the guitar and Aune’s musicality. As the tracks are all instrumental, there is a level of ambiguity to the stories, making them all easier to sink into as you find what you want in each.
Find out more about TS Music on his Spotify.
