“This record is an atmosphere, a state of mind. I indulge myself by making music that I want to listen to,” says Hilton. “It’s a more solitary record than some of my other work, there is not a big list of guest performers on this one. It’s really like my stream of consciousness.”
A Sky So Close follows Hilton’s well-honed production methodology of layering samples and live playing to deliver a more organic sound, with the added punch and feel that only a performance can bring. “I’m really a bassline designer,” says Hilton. “I mean, I’m a passable bass player, but if a lick is a little too tricky for me, I’ll bring in a friend to play it. And I also really like to weave bass samples and live playing together, so you can get new kinds of grooves that one person couldn’t really play.” Drop the needle on “Kali” or “Ghatam” to settle into two of the album’s deepest bass grooves.
“Lalita” is a truly standout track on A Sky So Close, a passive-pop concoction of sitar and Hindi chanting delivered by longtime Hilton and Thievery Corporation vocal collaborator Natalia Clavier. “Natalia is so special — she understands what I’m trying to do, understands my influences and can translate that into a beautiful performance every time,” enthuses Hilton. “She’s Brazilian, but she dialed in a totally different voice for this track. She also sings on “Kali” — she is endlessly talented.”
The title track delivers the album’s most widescreen elegance. Finger tipped tabla hits, string flourishes, wah guitar and a cooking bassline create an empyrean expanse filled with exotic birds, ancient aliens, and beckoning goddesses. Perhaps the most surprising piece on the album is “The Emerald Door”, a desi-meets-drum and bass exploration that sounds somewhat adjacent to the Asian Underground music scene of the late-’90s.
For the final two tracks on the album, Hilton gently leads the listener back out of the haze. “Behind My Eyes (Reprise)” has a laid back but tough groove; the goddess slides your jacket on, kisses your cheek and gently pushes you out her door, back onto the street. “The Lotus Gate” is a mysterious closer, with Ipcress File dramatics that seem to be leading somewhere explosive … but where to next? Eric Hilton is full of musical surprises.
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