Local producer, DJ and artist em.ash will host a release party this Saturday for his debut album ‘heartbeat’ at Gordon Ross’ Studio in Tin Town.
After 16 years of sequencing synthetic sounds, a collection of songs came together to form a smooth musical journey. 'heartbeat' came together after em.ash decided to take a break from promoting and hosting Delight, a monthly electronic night that brought smiles to the Comox Valley dance music scene for two and a half years.
"I needed to focus on my own music creation," he notes. "I was finally comfortable in my sound."
em.ash speaks through the vibrations of beats, bass lines. Combining a love of electronic music and an intentional desire to heal the mind, body, and soul, he creates a deep, rhythmic, and smooth mix to elevate the dance floor.
Dub, techno and deep progressive house have strongly influenced his compositions. As a DJ he has played all over coastal B.C. and at festivals such as The Big Time Out and Carrington Bay.
He collaborated with international media artist Esther Shalev-Gerz in 2008 on her instillation in Sweden entitled Sound Machine. In 2010, em.ash was chosen to inaugurate the West Coast Underground dj mix series, a dual disc release distilling em.ash’s best DJ experiences from Vancouver Island’s underground scene.
Soon after, in 2011, he teamed up with local fitness guru Leanne Zdebiak-Eni of Island Pilates and Fitness and Bellyfit Live: Community Celebration came to life in the Comox Valley. Bellyfit Live happens every six weeks at the Native Son's Hall, supporting local charities and promoting an active, healthy self-image for women of all ages.
Later that year em.ash formed Kung Fu Theory with local musician and producer Mister Luke O'Hearn. The duo saw their track Heatstroke/Mirage released on BDR Dancefloor as part of the compilation Moombahdeep Vol. 2.
'heartbeat' has a unique musical flavour that flows across many styles and tempos. The harder techno/dub of West of Winter featuring award-winning Emily Spiller melts into the calm vibes of Meditation.
em.ash brings the energy of Bellyfit Live with the funky 'Isolation', a track that has been featured in the Celebration for the past six months. 'heartbeat' is available online at CDBaby.com/cd/emash, at BopCity Records, Sew Sisters Artist Guild (Cumberland) and in person.
For more information, find em.ash on Facebook and at souncloud.com.
People are invited to attend this milestone celebration where they can pick up a copy of the album, enjoy drinks (cash bar) and good company. Gordon Ross’ Studio is at 2314 Rosewall Cres. in Courtenay. The event will be held from 7 to 10 p.m.
Those wanting to dance may join em.ash at Funktion, a new electronic dance night at the Cumberland Hotel, where he will dj groove-driven house beats.
— em.ash