Since its inception in 2012, Argot's mission statement has remained the same: to promote, showcase, and support American electronic music. Four years and numerous 12" singles later, Argot proudly presents Hippie Priest's Gaia Variants, the first full-length album released on the label. The debut work of 21-year-old Illinoisan Will Justice, Gaia Variants is a 50 minute long psychedelic journey that pairs cosmic textures and moods with a warm dancefloor sensibility.
Although Gaia Variants is Justice's first release, it possesses a maturity and a coherent vision that belies the youth of its author. In writing the album, Justice explains: "I liked the idea of writing music about a feeling, or a moment, for everything," he says. "Gaia Variants is about finding the right sounds to suit a mood and expanding on that." Each track is a world unto itself: "There's a lot of contemplation throughout the album," says Justice, "Focusing on a theme or an idea and letting it expand."
From its first minute, the album plays with mood and motif. "Einn" is sunny and lively. "Field Hats (Reflection Mix)" is grand, a contemporary vision of Tangerine Dream built from arpeggiated synthesizers. The light-hearted "Interdimensional Traveler" tweaks expectations, highlighting the album's playful sense of humor. "Into The Gangway," which closes the album's first side, is its most arresting work, written in a pentatonic scale with a driving deep house beat like Philip Glass meets Mr. Fingers. The second side features some contemporary R&B flavor, most notably on "Vibe Uuu," featuring a warped, rubberized vocal sample. It ends with "He's Drifting" and "Windowed Ceiling," two spectral, emotional works that become one.
