Arran Arctic

For those unfamiliar with Arran Arctic, he is not (as his website leads us to believe) an amnesiac discovered somewhere within the Arctic Circle. He is, in fact, based in Edinburgh and is perhaps less commonly known by his real name, Arran Southall. However, listening to the melancholic beauty of his latest release, ‘In My Hands’ it is – at times – hard to believe that he does not hail from the Arctic region as his music does strike up imagery of endless plains of snow, icebergs and maybe the odd polar bear or two.

Combining multiple genres successfully is no easy feat and rarely done with such apparent ease. Southall combines folk influences with electronica and has mastered the art of vocal multitracking. There are moments which bear a striking resemblance (if only momentarily) to Bon Iver’s ‘For Emma Forever Ago’ LP. Saying this though, ‘In My Hands’ is completely Southall’s own and any such similarities are fleeting, rather than overbearing.

Tracks such as ‘Interrupt Me’ and ‘Always About You’ consist of carefully contructed layers and strike the perfect balance between folk and electronica. This crossover is handled so masterfully, some may even say it could be somewhat of a trademark for Arran Arctic.

Southall has clearly stumbled into his own niche here and it will be exciting to see what he produces in the years to come. If you need any further convincing,  ‘The Wire’ and ‘You Could Have It So Much Better’ should silence any doubts.