1tsbp has spent a lot of time touring around the world and immersing himself in new cities. With every stop, he’s learned something different and now, he’s taken everything he’s learned, blended them together with his already masterful production skills, and produced ‘megacity1000’, an album that is somehow able to embody so many aspects of all these different cities in just ten tracks.
If you’ve ever lived in a city, you’d know first-hand how exciting and overwhelming it can be. The beauty of ‘megacity1000’ is that every track is able to explore not just the different areas that create a city, but also the specific feelings that emerge when you venture into new neighbourhoods at distinct times of the day.
‘megacity1000’ opens with ‘City Affirmations’, a short track that anyone who grew up in a small town and dreamt of moving to a city can relate to. The twinkling synths behind the vocals are so sweet, and the ambient city samples that float behind the soft melody just makes this opening feel so innocent and dreamy.
At the tail end of ‘City Affirmations’ a beat begins to build and then we’re suddenly dropped straight into ‘Neurasync’. The dreaminess of ‘City Affirmations’ is suddenly dropped, and the solid beat starts to take charge as it bounces alongside thick, sticky samples, and snappy percussion. There’s a lot of movement to this melody, even though some of the synths feel as thick as molasses. The brighter, winding synths are a treat and swerve around the harder elements like a motorbike through traffic. The vocal sample lifts ‘Neurasync’ up even more, alongside a subtle, yet groovy bassline that smooths out the overall melody.
Following up ‘Neurasync’ is ‘Limosina’, a track with twinkling tones that cascade throughout the track alongside Cherry Chola’s sharp vocals. Like ‘Neurasync’ there’s a lot of movement to ‘Limosina’, with light and layered percussion being propelled by rolling synths, and buzzing atmospherics warming everything up. Cherry Chola’s vocals really shine and add a perky vibe to the perfectly paced track. ‘Limosina’ is infectious and encapsulates the feeling of gliding through the city on a vibrant day with your favourite people.
After ‘Limosina’, we dive into the cooler depths of ‘The City Never Felt So Good’, which also has impeccable movement. The beat on this track bounces together with buzzing atmospherics, and percussion that’s quite sharp and subtly slices through the otherwise dreamy track. ‘The City Never Felt So Good’ has a few trance-elements to it, making it feel like more of a late-night track where you’re just getting lost in all of the exciting things a city has to offer. The blend of atmospherics and synths makes you feel almost soothed, despite the pulsating beat. This track definitely speaks to those moments where you catch yourself looking at a colourful city skyline on a cool night and feel so thankful to be there.
‘MC1K’ has more of an artificial tone to it, and even after hearing the first few seconds of the track, you can feel how the robotic atmosphere of ‘MC1K’ juxtaposes the almost euphoric vibe of ‘The City Never Felt So Good’. ‘MC1K’ utilises warped tones, hollow percussion, and a collection of digitised samples to create a club track that, yes, makes you want to move, but also encapsulates the harder and gritter areas of a city. There’s a sense of urgency in ‘MC1K’, with the metal-like samples pounding themselves into the beat. Everything feels stiff and rigid, but honestly, it’s still so much fun to bounce along to!
Like ‘MC1K’, ‘Oh No’, has some rigidity to it, but instead of feeling stiff and almost metallic, it has power thanks to the fuller synths and galloping hi hats. ‘Oh No’ has a bit of heat to it and really packs a punch. The vocal samples make the production feel full and the vibrant atmospherics lingering beneath the melody swirl beneath every other element, helping them rise to the surface. This track is reminiscent of a steamy summer’s day in the middle of a city that’s full of people ready to have a good time. ‘Oh No’ is full of energy, which really contrasts the cooler tone of ‘Starchitect’.
One of the great things about ‘megacity1000’ is how the songs juxtapose each other. Earlier we had the vibrant vibes of ‘Limosina’ dive into the dreamy depths of ‘The City Never Felt So Good’, and now we have the energetic ‘Oh No’ diving into the crisp waters of ‘Starchitect’. The moodier synths on this track give it a darker tone, however the high-pitched vocals and punchy pads make the production so much crisper. There’s a slight eeriness to ‘Starchitect’ and a touch of whimsy. Somehow, 1tbsp the feeling of sliding through the city at 2am on a rainy night and watching as the bright lights of the buildings around you slide across the black tinted windows of your car like liquid mercury.
This vibe continues on ‘Interludio’, a track where 1tbsp and Mietze Conte blend hollow, twinkling tones with extremely subtle atmospherics, and bird samples, to create a track that’s both sweet, and slightly haunting. The vocals on ‘Inderludio’ are very delicate and have an innocent air to them, but as they begin to slowly melt into the atmospherics, they sound almost ghostly, adding to the eerie nature of this gorgeous track. ‘Interludio’ is so interesting to listen to because it’s so unexpected. Every sample surprises you and then you’re suddenly thrust into more familiar 1tbsp territory when a beat emerges, but just as quickly as the beat begins, sharp whistle tones are sprinkled above them, surprising you again. This is a masterful track that brings together so many intriguing elements to create something absolutely beautiful.
After ‘Interludio’ we get to enjoy ‘Somebody Pay Nina’, a track 1tbsp created alongside Ninajirachi, and is so fun to listen to. While ‘Interludio’ experimented with a variety of delicate elements, ‘Somebody Pay Nina’ highlights the silliness of everyday city life by adding cheeky vocals on top of some solid percussion, soft guitar licks, humming synths, and horn samples that sound just like an accordion melody in the way they’re strung together. ‘Somebody Pay Nina’ has so much heart to it, and really encapsulates the strange feeling of doing whatever it is you have to do to pay your bills, which sounds so incredibly mundane, in an exciting place like a city that’s always so full of life.
Then, after going on this grand tour through ‘megacity1000’, we reach its final track ‘U-Bahn Ride’ which features the incredibly talented Beaks. The beat on this track flows so nicely alongside the pulsating synths and rounded samples, that it feels almost calming to listen to. The production is so airy, and the warped vocals add a bit of a glow to the song, creating a very dreamy atmosphere. ‘U-Bahn Ride’ slowly speeds up and as it reaches its peak, the haze that was so prominent in the beginning of the track lifts, and you can feel a final burst of energy before we reach the end of our journey.
Listening to ‘megacity1000’ is like taking a tour through not just a variety of cities, but a collection of experiences that all produce specific feelings within you. 1tbsp has been able to curate an album full of tracks that trigger images of places that you may never have seen before, but you can easily visualise in your mind as you immerse yourself in each synth and bounce along to every beat.
You don’t often get to experience a concept album, let alone an electronic concept album, but ‘megacity1000’ is an impeccable piece of work that show not just how exciting a concept album can be, but also how well 1tbsp is able to translate his own feelings and ideas into tracks that truly make each listener feel something new.