- The artwork for Avalon Emerson's Whities debut depicts an Amiga-esque desert of blues, creams and reds, which gives the scene an exotic, even alien appearance. The music also seems to reappraise that environment. Deserts tend to inspire thoughts of desolation and sweltering toil, but Whities 006 is a wistful ode to Emerson's upbringing in Arizona.
She paints a loving portrait, but there's grit and sweat underneath. Bass notes gallop endlessly across "The Frontier," as if carrying the maudlin synth melody through the Mojave, and shakers labour intensely over the beat. With the rhythm gone, the "High Desert Synthapella" version of "The Frontier" sounds downcast. The bassline gave the original track a series of encouraging jolts, so its absence allows Emerson's synths to drift and disperse into nothingness. These two tracks reflect the yearning that can come with fond memories of childhood—Whities 006 isn't just affectionate, it can feel homesick, too.
"2000 Species Of Cacti" has the bouncy, knocking rhythm of another Whities record, Kowton's excellent Whities 002. The track's drums snap at a scorched, buzzy synth, before a luminous melody shines overhead like falling stars. It fits snugly into Whities 006's theme, evoking the deserts of the American Southwest as a source of joy and wonderment rather than a lifeless, unforgiving plain.
TracklistA1 The Frontier
B1 2000 Species Of Cacti
B2 The Frontier (High Desert Synthapella)