- Kyle Lyon, AKA Blair Sound Design, is a young producer from Orlando who, according to his Twitter bio, makes "healing MIDI Muzak." He's also a big fan of coffee, if you couldn't tell from the name of his French Press Lounge label. Last year's Chillax 12-inch presented a relaxing style of house that recalled the work of artists like Project Pablo. Lyon reclines into downtempo on the longer Interior Vista, which highlights the strengths and weaknesses of his sound.
Interior Vista's title refers to "the solitude and longing of a life spent indoors" and has the feel a lazy day at home. It even starts with the sound of someone grinding coffee beans. As it turns out, Interior Vista captures the dual effect of a good cup of coffee: the ritual is relaxing, but the effect is propulsive. Early on there's "Pressin'," where a piano, a flute and glossy synths play cute melodies over bouncy bongoes. It's pleasant enough, but the elements never gel, a problem Lyon encounters on some of Interior Vista's more out-there sections. Elements sound pleasing one moment and out-of-place the next.
The EP improves and gets more percussive—many of the drum sounds were sourced from vinyl records—as it progresses. "Traveler's Lid" features an effortlessly catchy bassline, while "See U Soon" offers up an irresistible synth sax solo with some killer pitch-bending. There's something silly about Interior Vista's ultra-synthetic tones, but they're also innocent and fun. Not every experiment works, but with tighter songwriting and arrangements, Lyon's downtempo sound could flourish.
Tracklist01. Coarse Beginnings
02. Pressin'
03. Sentimental
04. New Age Movement
05. Bird Up!
06. Traveler's Lid
07. See U Soon
08. Fields