10 Anenon – Tongue

On the back of the breakout success of 2016’s Petrol, Anenon (aka Brian Simon) was presented with a challenge of concept. Somewhere in the balance of his jazz, electronic, ambient, minimalism, and electroacoustic music, he had to pick a direction to move in. He needed an element in that complicated mix to focus in on, to refine. Of course, there was always the option to keep the balance where it stood, but with Petrol he had already begun exhausting that possibilities efficacy. To stand still was to stagnate. So the choice remained, what was Brian Simon to do. The answer in a very literal sense was ambient, as Tongue is by many hands and feets a much more ambient affair than Petrol, but the real answer, is nothing.

With Tongue, Anenon sacrifices none of the strength or engaging qualities of any of his genre aspirations. The spiritual refrains from his jazz informed brass section remain alluring, despite their quieter tone. His electronic and minimalist aspirations almost benefit from their more backstage presence, elevating songs with simple melodies emerging from below and above. Adding dimensions of organic instrumentation on top of synthetic arpeggios. The balance, while tipped substantially in one direction, manages to keep its form, and hone in its focus towards a more singular goal.