Local Listen — Auracane Showcases Artistic Roots In Album II

Hip-hop-inspired Denver artist Auracane exhibits his brand in his newest release Album II, integrating a collage of artistic styles and influences. His stage name “Auracane” is a year-old project, progressing from the artist’s last 10 years in production. The artist describes the moniker as a merger of two main elements: “aura,” the atmospheric quality or feeling generated by a person, place or thing, and “cane,” derived from the word hurricane, evoking natural power. Like the name, the music in Album II is a merger of ambient melodies and a storm of heavy hip-hop beats.

This latest release showcases Auracane’s roots as a producer as well as his current inspiration. He has built a foundation in both art and music — creating visual prints to accompany an experimental, instrumental sound. His art is collage style, combining separate images to create a complete image. Like his art, Auracane merges a wide range of styles and instrumental beats into his sound production. His current album creates a lo-fi, trip-hop tone by incorporating large elements of hip-hop and soft electronic beats. Auracane has established himself as a patchwork artist, branding a universal culture of image and sound diversity.

Denver’s electronic music scene would not be the same without the heavy influence of hip-hop. Sampling and cutting together diverse sounds is an important element for all electronic artists. The most successful artists incorporate their musical roots into any new wave of genre. Hip-hop combines two popular elements in production: vocal tracks and beats. Vocals built a strong following for hip-hop, but the second element expanded rapidly past its incipient genre. Hip-hop instrumentals or beats are a huge aspect of modern pop. Subsequently, the current era of music enterprise has expanded from impressive roots, representing the creative and fluid nature of pop music.

Album II is a carefully crafted production of instrumental harmony. The ten songs are a sequence of surreal chill and ambient beats with sounds grounded in hip-hop and experimental electronic. Atmospheric melodies permeate each song, weaving through trap and bass notes. The first song, “Closer,” is a colorful beginning to the album. A down-tempo beat layers a soft melody, creating a pleasant aura and relaxing air. “Get Going” demonstrates the range of the album, incorporating funky bass notes, a down-tempo baseline and distinctive melodies. The tracklist has incredibly smooth transitions throughout, with each song moving naturally into the next.

Auracane's Album II

Album II cover courtesy of Auracane’s Facebook

Album II is a perfect mix of soft notes with “immersive production aesthetics.” The album applies aesthetic soundscapes to create a universally comforting mood. This release encapsulates the vision of Auracane. His style is far-reaching and influenced by a distinctly human perspective. Auracane built a creative format for an evolving brand by combining art and music DIY. DIY is constantly evolving, creating a perfect platform for music and art production. Album II previews the exploration that Auracane has committed to artistic expression with an incredible range of hip-hop inspiration.

In addition to his latest release, Auracane streams live mixes — creating and showcasing for viewers — twice per week.