Honing in on a fragile existence, Akasha System takes a relaxed approach to club music

It’s a question we’re all asking, but uncovering an answer is complicated. As we search and rely on assurance, one stark conclusion we must accept is that reality itself is unforgiving, but it proves that we’re also resilient. Yet, as we come to terms about our existence plagued by tragedy and shuttering uncertainties, the upshot remains the growing number who’re contributing their small part as helpers. For Portland, Oregon’s Akasha System, aka Hunter P. Thompson, his version of help comes in the form of music. Fresh off the heels from last year’s excellent Echo Earth, Thompson gifts Epoch Flux, a mini-album created in the midst of his own solitude. But whereas Echo Earth delved into themes of exploration and wanderment, Epoch Flux serves as a fitting contrast of bustling, warm techno, and a sharply focused Thompson who reminds us that music has the ability to heal.

As we face a global pandemic in lieu of COVID-19, our desire to grasp anything that offers comfort in settling our minds remains our lifeblood. But as we learn to cope and adapt to our new normal, the idea of seclusion doesn’t necessarily have to bare such a harrowing tag even though it serves as a vital step. For Thompson, creation is essential. Case in point: he also just released a drone LP under the name Lake Color, which you can find on his Bandcamp. Even so, with a spanning catalogue heavily-rooted with dream pop touchstones atop it’s mild, rhythmic pulse, it’s no wonder Thompson’s work is easy to sink into and this remains largely the allure that encapsulates his ethos and why Akasha System is such a treat to unfold.

With a framework that occasionally dips in and out, Epoch Flux generally rides a steady crest. But during its six songs and a runtime at just over twenty minutes, Thompson isn’t overzealous. He remains thoughtful not to overpack its tracks, but rather generate and build their setup by layering. The inner working of “Climate Bend” scurries with repetition in place while “Unseen” forms like an apparition. Beginning with what sounds like programmed bongo thuds, Thompson incorporates airy synths and wispy thrum into its mix, resulting in a swirling latticework that’s reminiscent of Aphex Twin’s iconic, Selected Ambient Works 85-92, an influence that gets tacked onto Thompson’s name frequently.

Although a tired comparison, Akasha System fits snuggly into a long range of influence, but Thompson is quick to not let that label define him. Still, while it’s clear where some of his roots derive from, he disentangles and restructures them enough to make it his very own. “Isolation Wave” shares a similar form. With sonic, strobing blips that hold the track’s midpoint, its fabric cascades before fading out, showing just how playful Thompson can be. But while he could easily be seen supporting the likes of Tim Hecker or even The Field, it wouldn’t be such a stretch to see him on tour with larger names like Caribou or Jamie xx. The only main downfall that comes with Epoch Flux is its length, but we can’t get too picky, can we? While barely a gripe, it essentially proves here that we simply want more of Thompson’s mind to unpack. However, it’s almost certain he has a queue of songs or even albums just waiting in the wings.

But while Thompson’s groundwork here isn’t generally too complicated, he manages to stretch his range just enough to show some added flair. “Place and Time” closes out as the album’s most vibrant and wide-ranging track. Met with rubbery synths and upbeat rollick, it’s Thompson’s sunniest gem. “Voices” differs strikingly – redirected and dipping in tone, Thompson wraps the track in alien textures and grimy detail, which could easily attribute to the exhaustion of his isolation if nothing else. But here, Thompson continues to quietly catch lightning in a bottle with the most relaxed club music you’re bound to encounter and right now for our sake, he contributes in his particular way during this otherworldly time where we come face-to-face with our fragile existence.