Felix Weatherall, the mastermind behind Ross From Friends, continues his surreal exploration through lo-fi house and trance on his debut full-length Family Portrait.
Weatherall started small. Like most internet-age DIY beat producers, the artist created simplistic beats that hissed and scratched under the neon glow of ‘80s nostalgia wrapped in a vaporwave shall. Family Portrait tries not to blend in so easily.
After haunting opener ‘Happy Birthday Nick’, Ross From Friends kicks things off with ‘Thank God I’m A Lizard’. A headless voice repeats the song’s title while a hypnotic trance beat takes the listener through Weatherall’s vibrant world. ‘The Knife’ slides into golden age hip hop beats and R&B. The title track is very, very influenced by Flying Lotus. The skitting beats alongside ancient Eastern bells give it away.
Ross From Friends changes and shifts through different genres of electronic music so often that his album ends up sounding uneven. The producer is still finding his path and Family Portrait is a step in the right direction. It really is the beginning for Ross From Friends and if he continues to break away from his contemporaries, he’ll stand out from the rest.
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