“7C858C” is the first in the UNDISCLOSED series, an intriguing and compelling release concept curated by Headphone Commute. The idea is to find an existing, somewhat notable artist, strip away all branding and identity and let them release music that may not fit stylistically what their normal audience might expect. Interestingly, the lack of branding and identity creates a very distinct brand and identity, but that’s part of the appeal here.
HC is know for finding and sharing some of the best music currently out there, so him curating the series should make anyone want to listen to it anyway. We have no idea who is behind 7C858C, but whoever it is has a great knack for Eno-esque ambient tracks. This isn’t a long release, hovering around twenty minutes, but it is the sort of ambient that makes you float. The sonic textures are super rich and engrossing.
Perhaps the only negative aspect here is we never get to find out who it is! I’m dying to know, but that’s all part of the charm and mystery. Plus, at $1.99 for the album with the “pay what you want” Bandcamp option available, it is worth plunking your cash down just so we can see this series continue. My hope is that many more musical genres get explored with this concept and that UNDISCLOSED doesn’t just become a clever brand of ambient music. Not that there is anything wrong with it remaining all ambient music, it just feels like this could explore some other intense territory.