Graffick is Blaine Counter, and independent musician hailing from San Fransisco who specializes in lo-fi and downtempo Electronica. Counter was inspired to create his musical alias after he suffered a near-fatal accident, leaving him unable to walk for a long period of time and subsequently giving him some space to think about the direction he wanted to take his music. He realized that he wanted to dedicate his life to telling stories through the songs he recorded, something he’s done a pretty good job of so far on the 3 albums, 4 EPs and the variety of singles that constitute his output as Graffick so far. His latest release, meanwhile, is Graffick – Messages / In the Wake, a sleek, compelling track that was released earlier in April, and which according to the artist himself uses an atmospheric electronic soundscape to showcase his downtempo and lo-fi charms.
Setting the scene with a glistening arpeggiated synth and some atmospheric, wave-like sound effects. Graffick – Messages / In the Wake grows into an intriguing, multilayered piece of music that has the power to both calm and engage. As a track, it never settles or becomes stagnant, moving swiftly from one understated beat or full-bodied synth to another. As a result, it will likely take most people a few listens to fully grasp what this track is all about; Messages / In the Wake is clearly not intended to be a ‘song’ as such, but rather a free-flowing composition that ebbs and flows as a reflection of the artist’s creative process. Electronic blips and beeps also feature throughout, giving the track an air of experimentalism or sonic exploration, whilst the beats that come and go leave listeners wanting to delve further into the mesmeric world that Counter manages to create in just under four minutes.
The unorthodox nature of Graffick – Messages / In the Wake means that it might not be a track for everyone, but if you find yourself enjoying it and wanting to hear more new material from this artist then have no fear – the new album Spectra is on the way!
