What do Bill Gates, The Grateful Dead, and Steve Jobs all have in common? Well, besides being revolutionaries in their industries, they all have commended their use of psychedelic drugs in their paths toward success. Billy Hammer is carrying on that legacy with his new release ‘Sequoia’ as he transports us into his world of opening the mind and escaping reality.
Check out 'Sequoia' now!
William Hammer, originally from in Westchester, NY, attended UCLA and graduated with a degree in Anthropology. He grew up playing guitar, violin, mandolin, piano, and producing, always leaning towards creating instrumental music. Initially producing house music and hip-hop beats, he accumulated over 1.7 million plays on Soundcloud through original tracks and remixing the likes of Disclosure and Miike Snow. He eventually, however, strayed away from the confinements of producing music that fit other peoples’ sound and began channeling a new sound. He started releasing music in 2018 under the name Billy Hammer, following that inner desire to exploit his instrumental abilities. By fusing his love of nature with his electronic grooves, Hammer’s style is the epitome of new-age lo-fi rock. His inspirations stem from FKJ, Tame Impala, and the Grateful Dead. His skills acquired through ever-intricate EDM production coupled with his seemingly endless skills on strings create a match made in heaven. 'Sequoia' is Hammer’s most recent release, embodying a time-warping invitation to gratify our curiosity.
Deconstructing ‘Sequoia’
Appropriately named, the song is the result of Hammer’s experience in Sequoia National Park. The multi-instrumentalist often slips away to the outdoors, and was particularly motivated to escape confinement during the current Coronavirus pandemic. After consoling his girlfriend about her cancelled college graduation ceremony, he knew nature’s enthralling mystery was the answer. The couple spent the weekend unplugged and untouchable as they opened their minds with Mother Nature. An edible or two later, Hammer returned home eager to parlay his weekend into a 2-minute sonic experience.
From the moment we press play, Hammer welcomes us to his vibey world. The stylish synth introduction expands into the first groovy Telecaster guitar riff. The production continues to grow and we grow with it, discovering camouflaging hints of vocal chops and shimmering keys behind the lead melody. While throwing moments of ear candy, Hammer continues to guide our expedition as he reveals another guitar loop that fits in like a puzzle piece. Just a touch over one minute in, the engine is revving, the wind is blowing, and we’re off! We are hooked by the acoustic movement of the track, impeccably capturing transcendence. The wanderlust production encourages us to open up and be ambitious, but keeps us grounded through the humanness of the guitar, hints of vocal samples and breaths, and elements of nature. All of this is accomplished with no lyrics; Hammer lets the instruments do the talking. With just one listen, we have traveled alongside Hammer through his sonic landscape of liquid psychedelia.
Instead of capturing one moment in time, ‘Sequoia’ embodies numerous snapshots in a time lapse. The beauty lies not within the snapshots themselves, but within the movement from one moment to the next. To better reinforce the travel-innuendo, we pick up a touch of musical time travel, as well. The 808s give us a flare of old-school hip-hop, the guitar and synths are crisp and modern, and we are launched to the future with the reverbed riffs and the cosmic drop. The irony of it all is that he uses elements within nature, such as the flowing river, as a sample to take us there. The C# tune struts at 86 BPM. By the end of the song, we are not left feeling that our journey has ended; instead, we are prompted to keep exploring, keep listening. Thank God for repeat!
Hammer equates his writing process to painting, with each instrument forming his color palate. He starts experimenting with sounds in a live setting creating loops and layers, stroke by stroke. Each sound adds a new color and texture until he is ready to produce linearly in Ableton, eventually resulting in the finished painting. This process is embodied within the music itself. From start to finish, we are painting with him as he shows us his colorful world we can nearly feel, smell, touch. We can count on being surprised with auxiliary sounds to continue painting the picture. Hammer brings us through the forest, lets us swim in the cold current of the water, and invites us to explore the world on the other side of an edible.
As if Billy Hammer’s completely self-produced music isn’t impressive enough, he managed to complete the track in its entirety in two days, just last weekend. With such a short turn around period, Hammer continuously is able to deliver his most-current self with each release. While he explores, he carries his Canon to capture stills and videos. Alongside his music, Hammer consistently delivers compelling, natural art work and visualizers to enhance the listening experience. His cover art, below, for 'Sequoia' is synonymous to his recent releases, revealing very little. Simple but mighty, fans can expect true commitment to detail as they unpackage Hammer's art layer by layer.
Through his fearless curiosity, he succumbs to the vulnerability of self-exploration. He takes the lead to pioneer the path of psychedelic experimentation and channels that to report his findings sonically. Hammer’s art lies in his ability to translate atmospheres he has experienced into musical compositions. Like his music, Hammer’s connection with psychedelics unfold like a story, making the process come full-circle. Cue the cliché quote: It’s about the journey, not the destination.
‘Sequoia’ is everything but cliché as we are prompted to halt the pressures of society and create our own adventures. Literally, metaphorically, psychedelically… we are hearing the essence of a trip, may that be a road trip or an LSD trip. Regardless, we are blessed with an Avant-guardian angel to accompany us as we move, experience, and become one with nature. Similar to how some music makes you want to dance, and others make you want to cry, 'Sequoia' makes us want to explore. Encouraging, inspiring, and motivating, the momentum established sparks the fire within us to extend that momentum physically. Originally sourced from a place of comfort, it makes us yearn for adventure in the natural world, away from the noise of tyrants like social media or COVID-19’s unforeseeable future. This is our golden ticket to follow that voice in our heads desperately asking for a break and delve into life, Earth, and ourselves. By disconnecting, we become connected.
In these moments with nature, Billy Hammer is home. He encourages his listeners, especially now during the pandemic, to seek deeper within ourselves and our world. Though isolating, Hammer has capitalized on the pandemic, offsetting cabin fever with adventures. In turn, he arrives back home fresh and ready to create, taking advantage of the unique opportunity to dive into his craft. Currently releasing songs nearly every week, he motivates us to continue the momentum he’s created. Hammer is preparing his upcoming EP, Joshua Tree, which will feature three tracks embodying his journey (literally and psychedelically) through the iconic LA national park.
If one thing is obvious, it’s Billy Hammer’s passion. His appreciation for the process and dedication to his art is at the core of his ability to transport his listeners. We cannot resist the lure of this new release and all it represents. From the elating groove to the avant-garde message, Billy Hammer’s got us hooked!
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