Manchester-based producer Frameworks (Matthew Brewer) returns with his third studio album ‘Imagine Gold’ on LOCI Records. Sighting the album as a reflection of his taste rather than his skill, this album delivers a diversely influenced and executed the body of work that reflects growth and maturity. With ‘Imagine Gold’, Frameworks displays extensive exploration into sampling and analog; citing long night drives back from shows as an inspiration that runs through the album, the intricacies, attention to detail and ability to expand on musical ideas are what sets ‘Imagine Gold’ apart from his previous work, and are a key component of him being so warmly welcomed into Emancipator’s Loci Records family.

Frameworks has neatly drip-fed singles from ‘Imagine Gold’ ahead of the full release, giving clues as to its direction with four diverse tracks. The album in its full form expands on that diversity to incorporate different influences such as the house-colored title track ‘Imagine Gold’ to ‘Sandstone’, a trip-hop inspired piece that ensures Frameworks showcases his full array of wide-ranging musical tastes. Downtempo ‘Delphina’ introduces the album, as electronic and synthesized elements provide the musicality, underpinned by acoustic live drums – a theme that exhibits a foundation that runs through ‘Imagine Gold’s entirety. The idea of cohesion is strong across the tracks.

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With clever use of evolving musical ideas that transcend individual songs, highlighted by the return of the chordal theme in the album’s penultimate track ‘Rotations’. While songs such as ‘Dark’ show his considerable study of analog with a heavily treated vocal making use of distortion and pitching, in keeping with the albums’ story. It feels befitting that Loci Records acts as the perfect breeding ground for Frameworks to evolve as an artist because ‘Imagine Gold’ now sits as an example of an artist finding his place and sense of home within a label. 

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