Chasms

Today Chasms aka producer Jess Labrador releases two new singles “Submit” and “Times Have Changed” on felte. The Hawaii-born, LA-based musician, singer, producer now fully solo brings her first music as Chasms for 3 years. 

Layering electronic drum samples and meditative guitars with entrancing soprano vocals, Labrador creates ethereal, percussive dirges often sparse in arrangement and potent with emotion. The project's somber, rhythm-focused sound has evolved through the years to include elements of dub, techno, and ambient, expanding its initial melancholic mixture of industrial, shoegaze, and dream pop. 

Labrador’s deeply personal work as Chasms has always felt like an unveiling. Following 2019’s ‘The Mirage,’ which was a dark, dubby meditation on grief and loss, this new album is both familiar and different. Chasms is stepping into new territory with an expanse of vaporous synths and samples, adding to the project’s ethereal electronic pop and dubwise pulse. Lush guitars glisten throughout the album, but this time only in sparse, disciplined embellishments

On both tracks Chasms states;

“Submit is about the Instagram/social media popularity game that feels really unavoidable these days. It came from observing this pattern of very public friendships built around being seen online, and even finding myself caught up in this behavior as well. It's easy to fall into the trap of replacing meaningful interactions with validation. Anyone can create a seemingly emotional and heartfelt post online and almost will their version of events into reality. With the right words and moves, you can work your way into some sort of fame or social standing. But at the end of the day, it's very empty. There will always be a new flavor of the month. The cycle repeats but the cast of characters change.”

“Things Have Changed” is a song about growth and finally getting to a place where you can say "no" to what is harmful to you despite it being familiar and comfortable. It's about coming out on the other side of a toxic pattern and making healthy changes for yourself.”