Space Adaptation Syndrome - Pale Horses Single Review

This is the second single from Space Adaptation Syndrome and sees a massive step up in song writing.

Space Adaptation Syndrome is an experimental Rock/Hip Hop band from Orlando, Florida. The group is comprised of guitarist-bassist Connor Tutins, vocalist-lyricist Amiri Brown, and drummer Dimitri Nikitopoulos. This is the second single from Space Adaptation Syndrome and sees a massive step up in song writing.

This track is so multifaceted. At times I’m reminded of artists like The Internet, with its initial R&B-esque slowness. Other times you can feel a much harsher influence on the tracks almost akin to The Mars Volta or even Rage Against the Machine. The track opens with a sample of two people talking with one another, literally asking ‘How did all this trouble begin?” and answering with ‘Living in America’. This opens nicely as the rest of the lyrics question similar themes about perceptions of life in America and argue about ignorance as bliss. The hushed vocals harmonising on the verses at the start are really atmospheric, though they are replaced with a solo voice that could remind you of a much moodier version of band The XX. It’s obvious the artists in the group are all talented musicians as there are no dull moments in this track.

One of my issues with the track, however, is the production. It feels occasionally as though there’s too much reverb and the drums don’t feel as crisp as you would like. It’s nice the way this band has combined a variety of styles to create their own unique sound and it will be really interesting to see where they go with this as the guitars on this track are really incredible but fall short as they don’t sound as polished as they could be. There’s something about the production in this track that fails to give the band the full sound that they’re striving for and somewhat undercuts their success. It feels as though the track is victim to its own dreamy soundscape by the time it veers more ferociously towards the end. 

The echo-drenched guitars sound beautiful at times but the juxtaposition between these sounds and those at the start could definitely improve if this is the direction this band is heading. If the band can translate these bigger ideas into a tighter production then it will be really interesting to see their future output. It feels like the talent is definitely there with this band and the vocalists are also incredibly accessible; it’s only the production and the coherence that lets them down. Their experimentation is really unique though and with more refinement could be one of the more interesting alternative hip-hop sounds of the 2020s.