Pola & Bryson are ready to drop ‘Beneath The Surface’ LP

This year sees the release of the long-awaited third album from Pola & Bryson entitled ‘Beneath the Surface’. Since their 2015 debut release, Pola & Bryson have transitioned from the exciting one’s to watch to the unquestionable leaders of new school liquid drum and bass, grabbing the attention of the scene’s greats in the process. 

“Masterful production and musicality throughout, I love that the album has been made just as much for the home listener as for the clubs. For me, these guys are leading the new wave of liquid drum & bass.” – Sub Focus 

As digital streaming services continue to dominate as the primary source of music consumption, the wildly contested ‘death of the album’ debate continues to burn throughout the industry. To counteract the current trend of single tracks and playlist placements, Pola & Bryson wanted to experiment with a concept album.

“We envisioned a landscape, to act as inspiration to us whilst writing this album. The landscape is made up of 4 distinct sections, each representing a different emotional state. The first being Shinrinyoku (a Japanese term for forest bathing), represented by a dense, peaceful forest environment. Mangata (loosely translates to moon river) takes you to the edges of a cold, misty lake which eventually leads you to Toska, representing a dark and endless cave. All transpiring with Yuugen, a vast and epic mountain range. The album, paired with bespoke animated visuals, paints the perfect reflection of the journey.” – Pola & Bryson 

Over the last five years, Pola & Bryson have steadily ascended from promising newcomers to well-respected leaders of the next liquid generation. The London based pair’s production credentials are now so well respected that they have recently been commissioned for huge remix projects for Sub Focus x Wilkinson and Camo & Krooked and releasing a collaborative EP with Brazil’s legendary DJ Marky. Since their debut album ‘This Time Last Year’ on Soulvent Records and then 2018’s award-nominated Shogun Audio LP “Lost in Thought”, punters and peers have been on tenterhooks, anticipating what the duo would bring to the plate next. And, effortlessly living up to its hype, anyone who journeys through the ever-changing soundscapes of ‘Beneath the Surface’ will be immersed into a new world of sonic expression. 

We caught up with the guys so they could share with us some music that wasn’t created by them but which they feel fit the mood of the different sections on their new album.

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So to begin with the first part (Shinrinyoku) represents searching for tranquillity, and calmness within a stressful or noisy environment. A couple of songs come to mind that suit this environment: 

Jack: 

Harry: 

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Mangata, for us, represents the feeling of uncertainty for what lies ahead, holding on to tranquillity yet bathed in melancholy. A few tracks that suit this section for us:

Jack:

Harry:

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Toska represents anxiety, loneliness, that feeling of darkness that comes with depression. Our picks for this section are:

Jack:

Harry:

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Lastly, Yuugen represents an overwhelming sense of euphoria and self-awareness/understanding. Here are some of those tunes that evoke those emotions for us: 

Jack:

Harry:

Pola & Bryson drop their new album ‘Beneath the Surface’ on 3rd September via Shogun Audio. Grab a copy from here!!