Irvine grown duo Starfari‘s newest EP is a step above their first release Clear the Clouds. This time, they’re shooting for space with Total Solar. Whereas their first EP featured more tropical and cinematic sounds, their newest EP is an ode to the Great American Eclipse, and the wonders found in exploring the shadows. To that effect, the EP has a much higher energy influence with dashes of world and hip hop.

Hanuman is the heaviest hitting track on the upcoming EP. It features Niko Brahman and Jules telling a story of passion, distraction, the rat race, and being the judge of your own journey. It’s clear to see there’s a level of sophistication and sound experimentation that the homies Ali and Alex have taken on with their Total Solar EP. A few words about “Hanuman” from STARFARI themselves:

“The main thing we’ll vividly remember from this song is that we were writing and finishing it as we were shielding ourselves from the election results coming in back in November. This song is coincidentally about not letting ulterior distractions get in the way of your focus and being the hero of your mind; realizing the courage and strength within you like the Lord Hanuman.”

I’ve found myself drawn to the calmer spectrum of dubstep lately, enjoying the beats side more than the liquidizing of jaw bones and other facial features. Maybe I’m maturing or something. Maybe the recent affinity for jameson on the rocks is artificially inflating the perception of my maturity. In any case, I haven’t been able to stop listening to Draper the past few weeks. His 4 track self-titled EP is filled with delightful synths, ambient sounds, and glitchy samples with solid drum work. He pretty accurately describes it as “liquidstep” and also posts up a lot of other good artists on his facebook on the reg. Pretty rad.

Draper: Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud