Douglas Appling, the Portland-based electronic producer best known as Emancipator, continues to refine and capitalize on his creative ethos with the release of his latest studio album, Mountain of Memory.
Recorded in his Mt. Hood, OR studio, Mountain of Memory marks Appling’s sixth studio album overall and his first studio release in three years since the 2017 album, Baralku. Released on Loci Records, Mountain Of Memory features 14 fresh tracks including “Labrinyth”, “Iron Ox”, and “Himalayan”, which were released as surprise singles over the course of last two months in anticipation of Emancipator Ensemble‘s now-postponed Spring tour.
The new album displays Appling’s unique style with elements of mid-tempo dance grooves, solid hip-hop beats, acoustic guitars, classical violin, Persian dilruba, Baroque flutes, opera singers, and a variety of percussion elements to accent the producer’s melodic sound.
As Appling explains of the new release, “This collection of songs is expansive in its range of sounds while continuing to include many collaborative voices. If this body of work is a mountain, the recordings that comprise it are a geological archive of expression. They have alchemized over several years and the songs are the product of these processes. The album has a loose narrative of rising from the swamps, to the summit of a mountain, and the journey of enlightenment in between. By the end of the album, you are standing atop the Mountain of Memory.”
Emancipator, along with the rest of the music industry, was forced to postpone the Spring Emancipator Ensemble tour until the summer, so fans will have to wait until July to hear the new album live. The ensemble—comprised of Appling (production/guitar), Ilya Goldberg (violin), Colby Buckler (drums), Mub Fractal (bass), and Asher Fulero (keys)—will now kick off their tour in July. See below for a list of rescheduled dates.
You can stream Mountain of Memory on all streaming platforms here or listen via Spotify below:
Emancipator – “Mountain of Memory”
Emancipator Ensemble has also already announced their rescheduled 19-date Fall Tour. For all spring and fall tour dates, head to Emancipator’s website.
