"Psychic  Flashes" by Sofa So Good

I think it's a good idea for me to push the boundaries of my reviewing comfort zone from time to time (though it probably requires some research when I do) but as you'll read in a minute, in this instance I felt that it was the least I could do.

You may not have previously heard of Sofa So Good, which isn't terribly surprising given that their sharing of their track "Psychic  Flashes" on Soundcloud is effectively their debut & I don't think there has been a live manifestation yet either.

So a new name to conjure with & to delve down into their world, we see that the group comprise Lani Kayah & ScumbleBear. These are not the names on their official IDs, so another dive down past their DJ noms de mixage, we arrive at Sarah Croom and Simon Ashby.

Now while this sort of music would seem to sit within the latter's area of experience, you'll know Sarah's name in this magazine purely as bassplayer with both Septic and the Tanks and Concrete Fun House: quite a step from punk to what she tentatively described as "bass house or just hinting at that".

It is her positivity in stepping into a new world for her that convinced me that I needed to follow her example & review my first house track. Under her DJ persona she is of course a well known local DJ  but this project will allow her to hone production skills & enhance her DJ ones while working closely with someone with greater experience. (For those who like technical details in reviews, it was getting to grips with the potential of Abelton to articulate her creativity which was the specific medium in this case).

In fact my way into this track was from a Septic angle: as you'll know if you've heard their work, there is an intense playfulness running through it and much the same goes for "Psychic Flashes": a fresh sensibility enters the genre via an oblique angle. For what other dance track samples ‘Frasier' or would even think of doing so? (The opening season episode "My Coffee with Niles" provides the source here).

This opens it up for me & I found it great fun. Are you allowed to say that about a dance track?  Given the samples, the electronic sounds selected (Simon seems to have had his kicks sorting these out) seem to amplify the humour (I am sure that must have been the idea) and the editing ramps it up further. Given that my reluctance to immerse myself too much into the genre lies with my finding too many examples either taking themselves way too seriously or simply falling back on conventions & over worked tropes. You certainly cannot say that about "Psychic Flashes". What you can say I think is that like Septic and the Tanks & Concrete Fun House, there is a sense of deep humanity behind the humour: Sofa So Good may have invented a new sub genre (in fact they must have): "mindful house"? "Compassionate fun house"? I think any genre is enriched & refreshed when someone enters it from an unexpected direction, but one where the key line for the composer is "are you happy?" shows particular merit.

If the duo are intent on making more like this, they may succeed in welcoming me to an area of music I've previously been wary of. I can't say the sense of erudition evoked hurt either. An equivalent track referencing a reality show really wouldn't have drawn me in.

I'm also much taken with a line of investigation another remark of Sarah's took me: that much dance music is garlanded with lyrics which give the impression of profundity which then evaporates on closer inspection. Again, that doesn't apply here.

So that's it really: a most interesting new act: I have no information on where this is going in terms of product or performance and I feel it wasn't helpful to ask of them what they may not have decided themselves at this point. I hope that in addition to this feedback, similar from listeners may encourage them that they are on a potentially successful artistic arc which has a lot to offer them in developing it & us for listening to it. And dancing to it of course.