Justin Sweatt has been making forward-thinking electronic music for well over a decade. He first began making electronic music as Xander Harris, releasing a collection of classic electronic music that ranged from darkly illuminated techno to hazy ambient to 80s-inspired synth pop with a touch of 70s German electronic pioneers for good measure.
But then Sweatt began to release albums under his own name, and these records took on a much more nuanced, ethereal approach. A kind of prairie new age music that felt more personal and internal than the bold dark techno of Xander Harris. Albums like Say Your Goodbyes, When The Light Goes, and Permian Tapes Vol. 2 painted visions of clear sky days in the southwest, where it seems the entire world rolls out forever.
On Justin’s latest with ambient/new age label Aural Canyon he gives us more of the big sky horizons and contemplative sound works. North Texas Electric might be his most content, thoughtful, and personal work yet. It’s a record filled with sunrise moments and long walk conversations.
When talking about North Texas Electric Justin described it this way: “North Texas Electric” is a residual hauntology of ambient slowcore explorations of long drives in rural Denton County”, and “A couple of the tracks explore what I call “Texas Krautrock”; searching for the sonic reimagining of Harmonia through the lens of Lone Star German heritage.“
“Breath of Joy” is the perfect opener as cricket noise intermingles with the breathy sound of the evening wind. Slowly synths rise into the mix and overtake Mother Nature, giving everything a sort of awakening of sorts. It’s a very optimistic and warm feeling that emanates from this track. “TexasDeutsche” brings some of that Dusselforf magic to the Denton landscape, giving us both Big Sky Texas and the forward-thinking German experimentalism. It’s all-encompassing and quite beautiful.
Elsewhere there’s the ethereal and dreamy “It Is Better To Have Loved”, while “Prairie Rose” has an almost weightless quality to it, landing somewhere between Manuel Gottsching and Ry Cooder. “Rising Star” builds slowly. A sunset, slow motion movement from the heat of the day to the cool of the evening. Synths and guitars come together to paint a moment that is both passing and prolific.
North Texas Electric is a triumph of sound and mood. It’s one of Justin Sweatt’s very best works, leaving the world of Xander Harris in the shadowy nighttime of dark clubs and mall walks. Showing us light and contentedness can show up in the most surprising of places.
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