BS, the latest addition to Still Woozy’s psych-pop repertoire, finds him sinking further into his uniquely lush sonic world. Take your pick: to BS you could relax, dance, or contemplate the personal nature of Sven Gamsky’s lyrics. It’s richly textured, beat forward, with intimate vocals that perfectly compliment the slow and undeniable groove.
The California-based singer/songwriter/producer is clearly passionate about the detailed production that makes his music so immersive. “I love playing with sounds and textures,” says Gamsky, speaking at a recent press conference. “It’s just so much fun to make beats, to create something out of nothing, to feel the different textures of the drums and the sounds. And then building them up from the skeleton outwards, building the muscles. As it takes shape it always blows my mind a little bit.”
Gamsky’s precision and attention to detail are exactly what causes his music to stand out from the horde of musicians making psych-pop music right now. He’s humble about it, though. “The way that I mix it and produce is kind of a headphone experience because I’m stupid and I mix in all these tiny noises that are just a blip in the right ear or something. And if you’re on headphones you’ll be able to hear that more than if you’re on your phone or listening on something else.” It pays off. His music sounds alive, every line part of a living, breathing, complex organism that you can hear growing into the entity of the song. His mixing of acoustic and electronic elements further brings exceptional personal energy and warmth to his sound. The entity of BS hasn’t been around long enough to be sure of its replay lifespan, but preliminary findings show it is likely immortal.
But is this new single a taste of music to come? “Based on the stuff that I’ve already made, I’d say it’s not. I always try to make something that keeps my interest and there are all these different things that I want to try so I wouldn’t say that’s indicative of what’s coming, but it’s a part of a whole picture if that makes sense.”
Having heard Gamsky talk about his influences, this does not come as a surprise. His eclectic range of inspirations include Frank Ocean, Department of Eagles, old blues music, and he even used to be in a math rock band. “I could never describe my music cause I feel like I have so many influences,” says Gamsky when asked to describe his sound. “I never want to get stuck in a genre because I don’t want to be limited to just one thing. I have too many ideas to be stuck in one place. I don’t want people to get used to one thing either – I want to have enough space to explore and express all of myself, all my different parts.” It sounds like even with the future of his sonic world up in the air, we can be sure to expect grounded authenticity. With creativity, precision, and authenticity, it’ll be a treat to hear whatever this compelling artist has up his sleeve.
