Transmission by STOLACE

Buried under a cacophony of noise and desperation with a seemingly endless parade of transmissions, the plight of the demoralized artist blurs into a hazy mantra rising to the surface in a collective sigh: can you hear me? This is the theme of the brand new psychedelic rock EP "Transmission" by STOLACE.

STOLACE is stepping out of seclusion from the peace and quiet of the ambient music scene to make his mainstream debut with a ground-breaking psychedelic EP. Emerging onto the indie/psychedelic rock scene with a sound that defies convention and industry norms, STOLACE unveils their mesmerizing journey into the depths of the human psyche.

Inspired by the isolating nature of the digital age, “Transmission” is an open invitation to explore the inner workings of the modern mind through a metaphorical narrative set against the backdrop of indie- and electronic-influenced psychedelic rock.

The single "Can You Hear Me" is a fictional reflection told by a lone figure positioned at a deep-space communication substation, musing on their isolation and desperation to hear any sort of familiar voice on the other end. Put simply, his reflections mirror our universal longing for connection amidst a sea of digital noise.

The story continues with "The Machine", asking the introspective question "for what?" to all of our ambitions, our desires and aversions, the pointless attempt to find happiness in our phones or in our social media posts, and asks us to evaluate the madness of the mental drama we subject ourselves to.

The EP comes to a culminating peak with the meditative piece "The Nature of All Things", an invitation to find our deepest sense of peace, joy, and equanimity through the acts of mindfulness and letting go. The song simply states, "whatever has the nature to rise, must pass.... let go" with a slow crescendo of voices, painting a picture of the culmination of centuries of wisdom found in Buddhist teachings — that all things rise and fall, are inherently unreliable as a lasting source of happiness and joy, and that we find peace in the simple act of maintaining a loose hand on all impermanent phenomena, letting go of our clinging to attachments and aversions, to desires and our fears, dislikes, hatred, and other sensations we experience as humans.

Providing an opportunity for reflection against an ambient backdrop is the instrumental reprise of "The Nature of All Things" which features the beautiful cello work of Swedish artist Henrik Meierkord, who provided numerous layers of drone-based cello arrangements. Henrik Meierkord's work can be found on numerous ambient labels and at his Bandcamp page https://henrikmeierkord.bandcamp.com.

STOLACE’s stream-of-conscious approach to songwriting breathes organized chaos into the conventional methods of music production, allowing for an organic exploration of sound, emotion, color, and texture without limit or constraint. With influences ranging from classic psychedelic rock to modern indie sensibilities to the dry warmth of 70s pop rock, STOLACE crafts a sonic landscape that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking.

“I wanted to create something that felt honest and true to my experiences, and yet not be bound to watered-down methodologies,” writes STOLACE. “I took each note, every phrase, and every facet of the arrangement in strands of inspiration, steering clear of my habitual patterns of writing in favor of exploring sonic spaces I’ve never been to before. I’m absolutely enamored with the results — an EP that feels both familiar and surprising at the same time.”

STOLACE’s visionary writing and production style generously give the listener a playground for the senses — spacious instrumentation, alluring motifs, neck-rocking bass grooves, wailing guitar lines, and an abundance of ear candy to give you plenty to explore with every listen. In addition to exploring vastly different sonic spaces, STOLACE pushed the boundaries with a wide-ranging vocal performance, from hushed, subdued vocal ASMR-like articulations to intense guttural vocal ululations, expressing dire emotional states.

"Transmission" is the result of production work that spanned roughly two years, much of that time sitting on the proverbial shelf allowing the pieces time to breathe before making final tweaks and changes to the mixes.

Tracklist

1.	Can You Hear Me	3:38

2.	The Machine	4:15

3.	The Nature of All Things	3:44

4.	The Nature of All Things (Reprise, Feat. Henrik Meierkord)	3:42

Credits

released October 11, 2024

All vocals, music, lyrics, mixing, and mastering by Michael Tangen
Cello on "The Nature of All Things (reprise)" performed and recorded by Henrik Meierkord

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