Ulysses – Count on Me (2021)
Ulysses is taking a more experimental approach to electronic pop with his EP Count on Me. With this approach, he looks at the journey of life while considering the type of person he wants to be. With each track, he looks at the many facets of self-acceptance, empowerment and love. This is contrasted against who he used to be and what he hopes to be in the future.
A one-man-band, Ulysses writes, records and performs everything on the EP himself. He started this musical project in 2015 when he released his first self-produced EP. Before that, he has been making music and playing in bands. When striking out on his own, he drew on a range of different influences that have lent themselves to his unique sound.
The EP opens with ‘Count On Me’ which is an affirmation of the kind of person he wants to be. You are drawn into the song with a wonderful softness before the electronic tones vibrate through your senses. Ulysses’ vocals have a wonderful authenticity to them that shines through the rather intricate electronic soundscape. As you slip into the lyrics, you are drawn into a personal journey as he looks at what has happened in life and what he would like to be in the future. At times there is an electronic edge to his voice that merges it with the melody.
‘Neighbourhood’ continues the deep beats but this is contrasted with glimmering synth lights. The higher tones are a twinkling wonder that lifts your soul as you fall into this love song. The movement of the vocals is amazing as Ulysses opens with a smiling light only to dip into a seductive and beckoning chorus. The ups and downs of an evolving relationship are brought to life through the movement of the vocals while the melody has you stuck in place. This is a really wonderfully relatable song that you get really into.
Ulysses’ vocals open ‘Room to Breathe’ as it rests on a lightly glitching melody that pulses through your brain. There is a great blending of melodic elements that form an expansive soundscape. At times, the music is almost intimate before it judders into an endless landscape of beautiful melodic tones. His vocals match this movement as he lures you in with an almost conversational feeling only to send your mind soaring out into the vast openness of the music. There is a lot of strength resting in the vocals and lyrics as you move through the vibes of the song.
The EP comes to a close with ‘Writing On the Wall’ which is actually connected to ‘Neighbourhood’ as it was written about the same person. While the relationship is the same, the vibe of the songs are completely different. There is a wildness to the music in this track that makes you feel like neon lights are coming at you from all directions. There is a layering to the vocals on the chorus that enhances the messaging of the lyrics and the overall vibes of the track. Woven into this is a sense of realisation and understanding that the relationship might not be what you are expecting.
Ulysses uses a more experimental electronic sound to captivate on his EP Count on Me. While each track considers a different aspect of life, the EP as a whole flows wonderfully from one song to the other. There is a connection in the deep electronic beats while his vocals and lyrical abilities shine in a wonderfully unique manner.
Find out more about Ulysses on his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
