Odd Relics is the creative endeavour of multi-instrumentalist and producer Brian Squillace. Born and raised in North Carolina, Squillace is currently based in Los Angeles. As a producer, Brian’s focus is on bringing a DIY mindset to his work, writing, recording and mixing all his music himself. In addition to solo work, he also works as a member of psych-pop duo LANNDS.
Drawing inspiration from Bonobo, Toro Y Moi and James Blake, Odd Relics looks to capture a dark and psychedelic aesthetic. Squillace leverages synths and samples to place an emphasis on texture, something that is abundantly apparent here.
As a fan of musical attention to detail, I find I am often drawn to songs that have a highly textured feel (indeed, it is something I fairly frequently reference in the music I cover on BlackPlastic.co.uk). Take A Time Out creates a structured, dense feel as a result of the way the drums and densely layered instrumentation come together. The result has a tangible sense of presence to it, the synthesisers given an earthy aesthetic as a result of their proximity to so much detail.
Take A Time Out is the first single from a forthcoming six-song EP, due in November. Each single looks to capture the feelings of isolation that exist within a bustling city, heartbreak, and spirituality, as Squillace describes:
“2022 was a really hard year for me. I had just moved to Los Angeles and went through a divorce that left me by myself in a new place. I had a lot of feelings and not much to do with that energy. I poured it into working on a new musical project that felt like therapy. It’s like observing my reactions to my situation carefully and then translating them in to what I think they sound like. I’ve never quite experience loneliness like that, especially in a place surrounded by so many people. I really wanted to paint that picture.”