Quiet Bison shares his story on his debut album, Dawn which features floating synths and a flurry of collaborators across its 30 tracks.
Portland-based producer quiet bison has become known for his sleek and complicated production style since first appearing on the scene. He swept the scene at a young age with the help of nozzle and quickly caught the attention of Which is not the case and alison wonderlandas well as labels such as Deadbeats. His breakout discography is impressive and features a one-of-a-kind psychedelic soundscape ready to rumble through your speakers.
Ever since he foreshadowed the release of his debut album in 2020, Quiet Bison hasn’t stopped teasing fans with multiple releases following the mind-blowing EP, Trials and Tribulations. Now the massive 30-track LP Dawn was released on Ultra Records and acts as a storyline from his time in quarantine and before that highlights the emotions and struggles he faced throughout his life. But Quiet Bison did not embark on this adventure alone since he also collaborated with many artists including Reo Cragun, TYGKO, Pauline Herr, Violet Jeweland more to add even more depth.
The first song I started working on for this album was “Myriad” at the end of 2019. It’s quite ironic that this is the last single to be released along with the entire “Dawn” album. “Dawn” is my biggest project to date and it captured the entirety of my life before and during. I’ve become close to people I never would have thought of and it’s a sonic journey into my mind and into managing relationships, especially long-distance ones. “Dawn” is also a story of the struggle for love and the tragedy that can sometimes ensue.
quiet bison
Be sure to stream Dawn on Spotify or your favorite streaming platform, and read on for a deeper dive into some of the standout tracks from this Quiet Bison album.
Stream Quiet Bison – Dawn on Spotify:
The album kicks off with “Prism”, a chaotic but enjoyable introduction to geometric soundscapes that Dawn will feature.
With echoing synths that channel the Asian culture found on “Prism,” Quiet Bison offers a glimpse into this monumental album as the track melds into “Leprechaun.” He uses a unique blend of instruments to send chills down your spine, making this track stand out among the rest as a testament to his sound. Especially since the choppy choral voice blends perfectly with the staccato backbeat and glitchy synths.
Similarly, “sun catcheruses a very mechanical sound with the synths fragmented in an almost industrial way with the sound of the distorted snare drum keeping the beat as it breaks into a turbulent drop. The track transitions to a softer beat before ending abruptly like “Handlebegins with a breathless darkness paired with echoing vocals leading to a guitar riff. This one provides a sense of wanderlust for listeners as they navigate the path taken by Quiet Bison before changing direction to a softer space.
“XCVI” takes on an alien vibe as alien chimes swirl in a beating drum and blend into a glitch beat.
“XCVI” intensifies its out-of-space feel with robotic vocals fused with a wild drum pattern and heavy bass before bridging and picking up speed. The vocals maintain their coherence as the instruments around them rapidly change pattern to end with a melodic pinch of distorted guitar echoing a breakbeat in “26fe.” This gradually turns into a strumming harp as the sound of a storm plays in the background before the track returns to the same pattern and a female vocal rings out at the end of the song.
Another stunner is coming in “Myriad” which features haunting vocals from Violet Jewel, occupying the same mix of instruments with a melodic touch. The pulsating rhythm enhances the eerie beauty of this song before a beating drum ends the song. A little after, “citrine» begins with a piano rhythm mixing a flutter with and a classic chord progression. Vocals vibrate throughout this soothing track that sets it apart from the more punchy songs on the album. The album then picks up speed with “Eosretaining the similar elements found in other tracks, while the instrumentation adds a subtle elegance as the song sounds.
DAWN ends in a very different way than it begins to perfectly represent the narrative of its creation.
A steady clapping synth leads the way throughout “Edge” as stuttering voices vibrate in the background. The rhythm remains the same throughout the song as Quiet Bison alternates instruments before the high horns take over the track in a somewhat modernized jazz tempo.
The backbeat drops, being led only by the vocal patches, and the shimmering instruments fade before the final track, “♋︎♋︎♋︎ (696969)enters the fray. Using the Cancer zodiac sign symbol, it perfectly depicts an ocean landscape as it whimsically glides along with delicate stringed instruments almost as if stars twinkle above the shore.
Quiet Bison uses perfect symbolization that can be felt throughout this album as it tells its story. This album is definitely the one you shouldn’t sleep on and is one of the most unique electronic experiences that will grace your ears this year.
Quiet Bison – Dawn – List of tracks:
- Prism
- Leprechaun
- To input
- I’m waiting for you (feat. wilo wilde)
- sun catcher
- Handle
- High Like This (feat. Reo Cragun)
- Spore
- Blight (with fortune)
- Excalibur
- High speed
- Sandpaper (feat. TYGKO)
- Call It Even (with Pauline Herr)
- XCVI
- 26Fe
- Blur (with Dacy)
- Butterfly
- Shatter (feat. TYGKO)
- jade exhibition
- Blade
- Myriade (feat. Bijou Violet)
- citrine
- Eos
- Strike
- The Tower (feat. Fio)
- Wind turbine
- Crown
- Crash (with Madalen Duke)
- Edge
- ♋︎♋︎♋︎ (696969)
Follow Quiet Bison on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | YouTube | Tic
