San Francisco-based DJ and producer AIR APPARENT has finally granted us access to his long-awaited debut LP, Chromatic. The 12-track project is a vibrant journey through the highs and lows of love, life, and identity—one that also transcends the boundaries of its musical genre.
Chromatic is the consummation of 2.5 years of growth amidst emotional turbulence. AIR APPARENT, also known as Neil Sethi, bares his soul in a kaleidoscope of melodies and lyrics. Album opener “Cosmos” and the subsequent “Wonderland” plunge you into his dreamlike domain with an intentional nod at nostalgia and childlike marvel. Spirited tracks like “Dance” and “Razor” tug you even deeper into his vision, solidifying its grip on your imagination. Of course, this avenue eventually takes a melancholic turn. Songs like “Afterthought” and “All By Yourself” showcase the album’s emotional range by diving into a relatively murky post-break-up territory.
💥 it’s HERE! https://t.co/wyJQdZ5lcI
💎CHROMATIC is an LP that took 2.5 years of work in/out of a pandemic across multiple states and emotional states.
it is music meant to stretch identity, journeys, dreams, & genre. i hope you enjoy it and tell me where it takes you 🙂
— airapparent.eth (@airapparently) September 16, 2022
“I wanted to play on the idea that electronic music doesn’t have to be one thing. It can be stretched and smeared in different directions,” says Sethi. “The title refers to me expressing my vision of electronic music in a range of different colors, just how you can take a human experience and find 25 different angles and narratives within it.”
Chromatic benefits from vocal contributions by artists like Constance, Kcdeeya, and Meredith Bull, among several others. They play into the album’s narrative with ease, serving as guides through the sonic playground that Sethi constructed.
While engrossing listeners with his charming dreamscape, the Indian-American musician inadvertently unlocks pieces of himself. “The act of creating is often the best way for me to get to know myself,” Sethi says. “Even when making instrumentals, certain words start popping out, and I find that they were parts of me that I hadn’t expressed.”
AIR APPARENT’s Chromatic is available now on all major streaming platforms.
