Phosphorus is experimental and aspirational, blending gritty and ethereal sounds to capture both the earthly and the spiritual in a kind of enmeshed call and response.
Holobody’s Phosphorus is experimental and aspirational, blending gritty and ethereal sounds to capture both the earthly and the spiritual in a kind of enmeshed call and response. The album would be the perfect soundtrack for dancing among the stars, save for the persistent weightiness of delayed beats and guitar fuzz. That contrast between pulsing synths and soft vocal drones layered over steady rock beats makes Phosphorus uniquely atmospheric yet grounded.
While repetitive phrases place Phosphorus among its electronic peers, the rhythmic complexity and unconventional pairings of synths elevate Phosphorus to its own cosmic dreamscape. The lyrics are introspective yet simple mantras about the human experience: “no one makes it out alive.” The rhythmic complexity especially pops off in “Arc” with its electro-pop, glitchy groove. The result is a carefully synthesized button-mashing effect that just refuses to settle among any one genre.
“Still Watering” sums up the cycle of exploration, “Tracing circles around / the salt upon the ground / while I sing,” before shifting into the loose strum of the electric guitar, “No one’s gonna stop that wheel from spinning / but cycles only last forever when you’re in them”. Listening to “Pick Up the Phone” is sort of like standing in place at the start of a choose-your-own-adventure game until that vocal harmony comes in at 1:20 and transcends the playing field. The more psychedelic of the songs, “Pick Up the Phone” ventures beyond what you thought you could expect, using pillow chords to ease the slow return to earth in the final track.
“Vesper” is a meditative groove with mantras for reassurance: “every day breaks / after every night falls”. While there are spiritual references in the song titles and lyrics, there are also ritualistic elements to the songs’ mixes, finding sonic liftoff among the rhythmic cycles. Holobody uses juxtaposition to their greatest advantage; timing every downbeat and upbeat, making use of the space between, and merging soft and harsh tones in unexpected ways. Phosphorus builds on a drone, then pivots just enough when the beat drops to draw you in even further to its own little world.
