Only three instruments are responsible for the variety of moods found on Project's first full-length album, Winter in June. Anxious seduction, inebriated comfort, luxurious spunk, and midnight danger are all accomplished by beat-boxing floutist Greg Pattillo, award-winning cellist Eric Stephenson, and New World Symphony Orchestra bassist Peter Seymour.
Project's Members and Message
All of Project's members are hard workers. Peter Seymour has a bachelor's degree in music from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a master's degree from Rice University. Eric Stephenson also went to the Cleveland Institute of Music and received his master's and bachelor's degree in music. Greg Pattillo, world-renown for his beat-boxing flute videos on youtube, also received his master's at CIM.
The level of expertise and genius combined with the fusion of various styles of music gives a very inspirational message--that art is universal. The band has definitely lived that message through performances in Brooklyn subways, concert halls, chamber series, and bars.
Winter in June Walkthrough
The first couple songs on Winter in June slide along with a sexy, sneaky, noir feel. "Sweet Pea" turns the dial to a caffeinated bounce - an urban bass run with a hint of Irish twang and beat-boxing flute flourishes. It's a great song to play in the morning or while doing daily routines.
The next song is humorously ironic, titled "Waltz" with the traditional waltz setup - one chord per measure with the first note being the root of that chord. But the dissonance and ambiguous octaves (the latter being on the flute's part) suggest that the waltz either doesn't want to be a waltz, or wants to break the mold of what a waltz typically is. It displays another facade of the band's personality: playful rebellion.
The first "Interlude" is warm, rich, slow, and gentle, like a pastoral. It is quickly followed by the title track, which is subtly, patiently anxious. The cellist sears heavy and steadfast notes of deep dread as the flute pumps an airy beat above him and the bassist compliments the beat below him. If the song were used in a movie, it would occur at the first plot twist, right when the initial complications ensue. Try not to skulk when listening to this song.
"My House" lightens the mood as Greg Pattillo takes the reigns for a moment and beat-boxes a very danceable, hip-hop, street piece. The second Interlude, subtitled "Tribal," is exactly what it sounds like - airy, eerie, minor, and percussive. The following song is a fully fleshed-out run of harmonics and slight dissonance, with the same energy and spunk as "Sweet Pea."
The album then moves into a series called "Random Roads Suite." It begins with a tense, fidgety song (the part of the movie where the protagonist is accomplishing a difficult mission while the antagonist is on her case and about to catch up with her), and is followed by a mournful adagio. Shrill, overlapping notes take turns with doleful chords to make the song resemble the act of crying.
The following song, "Devine," is what a person must do after mourning - think about moving. The song has a heavy but harmonic and consistent movement with a clear flute melody - the light shining in the tear. The suite ends with a dynamic, jumpy, Spanish-sounding piece, and then the album concludes with an interlude called "Slidy" that is streetwise, evenly paced, rhythmic, and soulful.
Project's album is colorful and defies genre by both its fan base and its variety of sound. It then inspires its audiences to tear down their own social stereotypes and see the beauty in different styles.
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