By: Sterling Martin

Joining one of the most anticipated lineups of the summer, Backwoods Music Festival, left-field producer Esseks has been popping up more and more on our radar over the past year. The east coast-based artist recently dropped his Ego Altar album on Liquid Stranger's Wakaan label, and he'll be joining Martin Stääf on the Backwoods bill along with NERO, Big Gigantic, Audien, Illenium, Manic Focus, and so many more Labor Day Weekend in Oklahoma.

Wakaan’s tagline, “freeform electronic music” is one of the most accurate ways of describing the sound Sam Eckstein brings to the table.

He wastes no time before diving into the title track, “Ego Altar.” The track ranges from eerie womps to creative synths dives and more—setting quite the stage for the EP.

“Mr. Got Game (So Watch)” is another song that utilizes grimy, dirty basses to pack energy and complexity all into one interesting masterpiece. Next, “Prim” will catch you off guard with its various progressions and use of abstract sound. Before you know it, the song is over. You’ll be wondering, as I did, “what will Esseks deliver for the rest of release?”

He certainly impresses with the next addition, “Bunson Boy,” which features the infamous Space Jesus. The trappy nuances of the track add a fun dynamic. Esseks joins Speezy Jeez and Desert Dwellers on the Thursday night pre-party, which was announced just this month, and rocks TheUntz.com Meadow stage with full force to open up the weekend.

The EP wraps up with the track “Radiate” that couldn’t be more fitting of an outro. Not only will it leave you feeling satisfied, but it also will leave you with a thirst for more Esseks. Catch him at Backwoods, along with some big Wakaan crew members to get a real taste of what they've got brewing.