“Out of the Dark,” the new single sparking the return of CharlestheFirst, is out now. And to no surprise, it’s absolutely breathtaking. Known for his sonic story-telling and unique approach to sound design, Charles Ingalls is a beat-making mad scientist. Constantly pushing the boundaries, and giving life to music.
Let’s start this off by saying that we are BIG CharlestheFirst fans over here at Electric Hawk. I’m talkin’ One Direction type simps. Ever since the dust settled after the release of No Dimmer back in October of 2019, the birds have been pecking at the thought of new Charles. Some of us were lucky enough to see him at the last major event of 2020, Okeechobee Music Festival. Some of us, like myself, have never experienced a Charles set. But one thing’s for sure, we love this dude. And we think everyone should.
I mean just look at him.
Besides being a total stud, this man is an incredible artist. His sound is unique, alluring, and constantly evolving. His music often feels sentient, capable of evoking a wide array of emotional responses. And he flows across genres with an elegant precision that is hard to replicate. TLDR; this guy f**ks, and we are so excited he’s back with more music.
“Out of the Dark”
This track is ever-changing, so stay with me. It begins with a deep-space ambiance and echoing vocal samples. A downtempo groove with infectious percussion peeks through the shadows, before harder claps and ethereal synths put you into a blissful torpor. The beat then breaks you out of your trance with a voice speaking of love. The tempo changes and with absolute fluidity, a deep house arrangement surfaces.
And this beat is sexy. Seriously, I have listened to this drop a million times now and I just can’t get over how groovy this is. After riding that wave for a while, the basslines gradually increase and take shape. The soundscape is changing yet again, only this time we’re enveloped in a grimey experimental environment. Trap flavored percussion patterns are coupled with buzzing, warping, face-scrunching bass before eventually reuniting with the downtempo element once more.
“Out of the Dark” is the first single off the highly anticipated Solus LP. Expected in early 2021, this will be the first full-length project from CharlestheFirst since The Ascent. If “Out of the Dark” is a taste of what we can expect from this body of work, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s going to be monumental.
And Charles, if you’re reading this, Happy Birthday from the Electric Hawk team 🙂
Listen to “Out of the Dark” by CharlestheFirst below, and support your favorite creatives:
Keep Up with CharlestheFirst:
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And if you’re looking for a solid playlist to follow, keep up with our weekly Spotify playlist, Fresh Hunts. Whether it’s new CharlestheFirst, all your other favorite artists, some old-school, or underground…we just want you to hear it.
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