Post Yoga is the project of Bristol-based musician Chris Barrett, who, after the dissolution of his previous duo Something Anorak, challenged himself to make a whole project based around a keyboard bought in a charity shop for £4. It’s not a terrible one, though – a Yamaha PSS-170, which many might recall from their younger days – but it’s still fairly limiting, one would think. He says:
“I felt like a novice, messing about with a new toy and seeing where I could take it. From the outset I knew I wanted to create pop songs and to only use the Yamaha PSS-170 to create them, it allowed the project to develop its own aesthetic... Having spent 2 years developing the project I have discovered what works and what doesn’t and I have gained a greater understanding of what I want the project to be, I believe that comes across not only in the song writing but in also the arrangement and production.”
It seems hard to believe that Post Yoga could become something worthwhile with such basic elements, but one listen to new single “Phil” quickly corrects that ignorant notion. It may be minimal, but the way Barrett layers his tones and textures over a simple click track is undeniably hypnotic. He doesn’t need to complicate things too much, but nonetheless shows off some flourishes, decorating the soundscape with minor touches and effects that broaden the range of “Phil” and make it even more potent. It also helps that he possesses an excellent voice, eerily reminiscent of Perfume Genius, which adds guts and gusto to the track’s compelling glide.
With more to come from Post Yoga hopefully in the near future, make sure to follow him on Bandcamp, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
