Small town Connecticut-native, Tyler Suarez, and New York-native, Brenton Morrison (a.k.a. TRAXX) met their freshman year of college at the University of Bridgeport. A shared sonic muse inspired a quick friendship and an inevitable musical partnership. A band was born.
“Some reach for God, Tyler and TRAXX believe that reaching for an instrument is one and the same.”
With an artistic chemistry that seems to extend beyond their young lives in some etheric fashion, these two have already written and performed countless songs. Most recently, Suarez and Morrison busted out their debut EP; the live-take, wrapped-in-a-day, multi-genre delight known as, Genesis.
“Genesis is proof that music is within us.”
HERE’S WHAT WE DUG MOST…
The aptly titled, In The Beginning opens the project with a unique, multi-genre splash of artistic freedom. An ultra-chill almost southern-style 40-second keys intro feels just a bit like Mofro’s Lochloosa, before quickly changing faces and moods. Suddenly we’re in the delicate midst of world-meets-jazz, but only for another 50 seconds or so, before taking another right turn into a pop-punk infused synth-rock melody. The mood is… happiness.
OUR FAVORITE TRACK… Daydreaming, opens with a bit of deep and melancholy jazz. The mood is ominous and inquisitive, before the melody breaks open, once again, at the 40-second mark. Now we’re talking. Funk meets fusion-jazz as Morrison’s keys stick, move, and dance about, light and spirited. But don’t for a second think you know what these two are up to just yet. At 2:16, a patiently waiting Suarez lets loose the fuzz in a rock & blues-inspired solo of gravely electric notes. The jazz returns around the 3:15 mark. Now, Brenton and Tyler dance around one another’s notes, creating a smooth finish. This is really, really cool stuff.
Concluding the EP is, Bad At Goodbyes, an airy, ambient number that will catch you off guard, particularly when the kick and clap pop in at :48. Layers of synth tones build in your set as mellow electric guitar notes float in and about like some kind of melodic mist. At only 2:10, this final track does exactly what it is supposed to do: leave you wanting more.
IN CONCLUSION…
Totally dope. Shining with promise. An absolutely fresh take on fusion-jazz, rock, and electronic styles. Tyler Suarez X TRAXX’s debut EP, Genesis, feels like a cool breeze of rural air was let lose and run wild and free in an urban studio. We’ve been doing this music review thing for a while now, and can confidently suggest that Suarez and Morrison have something truly unique to their sonic alchemy. Switching genres fluidly, intuitively, and symmetrically, all while maintaining their abstract approach, free and unencumbered by the need to “make a hit”. This little project is absolutely what we love about indie music. Enjoy it below.
WHOSE LOVECHILD…?
An abstract and new-age instrumental iteration of Robbing Johnny meets MotherFunkShip…
BELOW: Listen to music from Tyler Suarez X TRAXX’s album, Genesis, and connect with their website and social media platforms. Please support Tyler Suarez X TRAXX by visiting them online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
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