Ever since I first heard EDEN’s single XO I fell in love with the rustic sound of an acoustic guitar blending with the electronic world of synths. The polymerisation of analog and digital created a juxtaposition that saw the two opposites become harmonious, similar to familial siblings where the differences can’t disguise the bond they share. I’ve stumbled across a record number of these types of single, but it’s rare I see someone do it as well as the Atlanta based musician ilias.

Known for experimenting with a multitude of styles, it’s clear it’s taken a gargantuan amount of trial and error to get to the point where he’s able to, funnily enough, strike a balance between the sonic worlds. Tonal Balance is a minimal single, putting the emphasis on the gloom of ilias’s voice with the brooding production providing a sombre tone to amplify his storytelling.

The piece doesn’t grow, maintaining a consistent pace where it’s the emotion that does the storytelling that does the talking, not the production. Ilias allows the listener to feel apart of his story, akin to someone sitting you down in a bar, and venting their frustrations to you. Evocative pain is all you feel, and it’s testament to his musicality that it’s felt so viscerally.