Colorado-based RUMTUM (aka John Hastings), an acclaimed visual artist and up-and-coming producer returns to Bastard Jazz with his first full-length offering: âIsles In Indigo.â Arriving after a slew of successful singles (many of which can be found on the album) and EPs, âIsles In Indigoâ both stays true to his established sound, and expands on the artistic vision; a luscious combination of aquatic ambient, lo-fi hip-hop, and mellow, melodic electronic, the record traverses the depths of the ocean to the outer reaches of the cosmos.
New offerings on the album include âLost My Heart In Spaceâ - an ethereal, downtempo cut - âHalf Set Valley,â which explores instrumental lo-fi replete with distant, chopped and edited spoken word samples, âCoastal Ruinsâ with nods to breakbeat, âMystic Symbols,â a trippy minimal track, and the album closer, âCommit Way,â which journeys from washed-out ambient to spacey hip-hop. Of course the LP also includes many RUMTUM mainstay singles, including âShade Fader,â âTropic Air,â and âBorealis.â
Electronic producer and instrumental enthusiast RUMTUM has a unique approach to crafting his melodic melodies. May it be his love for native spirits, mystic symbols or even sea life, sampling the natural world plays the biggest part in the dynamics of his writing. Ambient loops and saturated synth lines set the tone while the bass and drums do most of the story telling.
âIsles In Indigoâ is a stunning freshman release from a budding artist on the rise. Stay tuned for the physical LP arriving March 2022, complete with an original art insert.