- Bryon Harris
CircuitDive - 'Outside of Time'
CircuitDive is an experimental, electronic duo featuring composer and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Chapman (aka Francis Tombwrecker) and Jerrra Blues (aka Alena Ivleva) a Russian immigrant, singer and model with a background in hip-hop and freestyle. Brandon composes, produces and mixes the music. Based on Brandon’s thematic material, Jerrra writes the lyrics and, in collaboration, they complete the song together, each having equal input to final songwriting decisions. If this songwriting process sounds unusual, it is and it should be because CircuitDive is all about writing outside the lines as they seek to leave a one-of- a-kind musical print. CircuitDive released their debut EP, ‘The Coded One’ in January, 2017. Off 'The Coded One' comes their highly original single, "Outside of Time."
“Outside of Time” has a fantastic, engaging introduction. The song opens with an eerie, low bass synth sound that slowly builds with layers. At first, a single repeated note plays on the quarter, creating anticipation. That note is quickly joined by syncopated hollow, digital textures weaving around the beat like raindrops followed by thick, lush strings. All of these textures take you, quite suddenly, to a larger-than-life groove enhanced by pounding drums and percussion; there is an overall ancient vibe that is still modern; it is at once surprising and exciting.
Over this soundscape, Jerrra enters with the first line of the song. “Shine. Outside of Time. Out of the way. To violate. Your inner doubts.” Jerrra’s voice cuts above the mix with a formidable presence; she fits perfectly as if her voice is a higher instrument capable of holding its own. Jerrra sings “In liquid shapes. Whispering light. They penetrate. Circuit of dive. They run…” At this moment, the song does a 360 turn, taking you into a new atmosphere in which the sound stops then quickly presents a digital swirling scramble as Jerrra starts to sing, “They run, run, run, run.” This moment is exhilarating.
Musically, there are plenty of moments to “wow” you in “Outside of Time” which is over four minutes in length. From the intriguing introduction with its’ driving groove to the use of digital instrumentation and more, there is never a musical moment that is left unattended to - Brandon has considered and attended to every detail. At 3:49 minutes into the song, there is a percussive section that introduces an atmospheric moment that fades then bursts back into the groove as Jerrra showcases her incredible range hitting and holding notes in her upper register with ease. The song ends in an almost industrial, robotic fashion as if a battery is slowly dying and the last blips are heard.
"Outside of Time "was the first song that Brandon wrote specifically for Jerrra to craft lyrics for. He wrote the composition in one day, gave the music and a title to Jerrra, and they met in the studio a week later - the rest can be heard on their EP. This duo has a chemistry, like the music itself - It's energized, daring, risky and rewarding. CircuitDive had a vision to create music that would be the antidote to the “plastic, static, over glamorized, and watered down” music world around them and it is clear that they achieved this vision with music that is highly original and doesn't fit into any typical genre box; instead CircuitDive bursts the seems of the box, breaking down the boundaries and limitations of traditional structures to create more than a musical landscape – they have created an entirely new musical world that spins on its own axis. For more information on CircuitDive, please visit their Website.