Biophilia Recordings
Chase ElodiaPortrait Imperfect2022
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Inspired by readings of media theorists throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Portrait Imperfect is the debut recording from Chase Elodia’s new ensemble. Joined by bandmates Claire Dickson on vocals, Theo Walentiny on pianos and keyboards, and Tyrone Allen on Bass, Elodia uses the album as a space to reflect on how online ecosystems have transfigured the way we relate to ourselves and one another. The album parses the intricacies and complexities of digital life across eight diverse tracks, three of which features Morgan Guerin on EWI. The album is notable for the way it foregrounds the voice, with Elodia’s perceptive lyric-writing taking center stage on most tracks.

“I love the drums, and most of my first musical heroes were drummers. My time studying with Billy Hart was foundational to how I think about every aspect of my creative practice. But I also have a deep and abiding love for words, and studied English literature in college in addition to music. These days I find myself perhaps just as inspired by the writings of Fernando Pessoa, Jane Hirschfield, and Susan Sontag as I do by the drumming of Terri Lyne Carrington, John Hollenbeck, and Deantoni Parks.”

These literary influences are apparent throughout the album, as the songs discuss ideas such as the “spotless decay” of digital archives, the “placeless modernity and pageantry” of social networking, and the “contingencies of salvation” that are woven into our productivity-obsessed culture. Dickson’s voice, with its airy twinge, beautifully sounds out Elodia’s ruminations throughout the affair, from the hypnotic machinations of “readreceipt” to the plaintive questions of “Silent Keeper.” It is a bold album that brims with provocation and imagination, and a project that is sure to solidify Elodia as a creative force to keep a close eye on in the years to come."