Clarity

Since his debut release in 2008, Matt Preston aka Phaeleh has developed an inimitable style of cinematic electronic music, which floats between the shifting tempos and timbres of dubstep, garage, electronica and house music. Following the release of the albums ‘Illusion of the Tale’ (2016) and ‘Lost Time’ (2017), Phaeleh drops his most eclectic album to date. 'Clarity' sees the Bristol based producer further push his sound and production versatility. Featuring the atmospheric sub heavy melodies Phaeleh is traditionally known for, with an increased focus on the hardware synthesisers and guitars which have become more prominent on his recent releases. 2018 saw Preston returning to the studio with the goal of creating a follow up to 'Lost Time' (2017) without the industry based delays and frustrations of that release, only taking time out for a remix on Anjunadeep and some select DJ/Live shows across North America and Europe. “'Clarity’ is probably the most autonomous album I’ve made in a long time. It’s the first time I’ve really been able to detach myself from the self-imposed burdens and pressures of music making whilst also having true artistic freedom. It continues the conscious shift of recent albums to a more traditional recording setup of live instruments and hardware synths and drum machines rather than getting lost tweaking things on a computer screen. It was mostly written in the first half of 2018. I took the approach of only writing when I knew I was feeling creative, rather than trying to force things to happen and ending up with hundreds of half finished ideas. It was very important to me to let it flow organically, and get it out fairly quickly, as most the material on my previous album was more than 3 years old by the time it came out. I think the title refers to the Clarity I’ve found in the last year regarding all aspects of music, not just the writing of the music but also my place within the wider industry. Having returned to a setup where I have no label or management interference it’s amazing how free I feel and in turn how much more enjoyment I get from the writing process. It’s the first album I’ve ever made where I’ve really had fun making it and I feel it’s a very honest record where my focus was to make something that interests me, if other people like it then it’s just a bonus.” - Phaeleh