Parrotice reaches back to his roots for Solace
By: Anand Harsh
In the immortal words of Monty Python, “and now for something completely different.” ThazDope Records has become a haven for some of the most progressive, heavy, experimental bass east of the Mississippi (trust me, they're also working on the other side of the country).
That being said, the crew recognizes the need to branch and out support more emotive, throwback flavors along with its forward-thinking mission. Today, Parrotice drops his grand statement, Solace. Blending hip-hop and deep dub, the 11-track masterpiece is as much a therapeutic work of art as it is a head-nodding object of brilliance.
As half of Atlanta-based Nematodes, and having just jumped off Prophet tour to do two dates on Space Jesus tour, Jonathan Shuttleworth has been submerged in banger technology so deep, he's felt out of touch with the type of music that turned him on in the first place. In order to refocus and recenter himself, Shuttleworth dove into his back catalog to unearth some early works that really represent who he is as an artist, and where he's headed. Solace is a return to form; a boom bap project that still goes deep on the bass, but doesn't sacrifice on soul.
Here's what Jon Shuttleworth had to say in his own words:
Growing up I always struggled with communication. I always had friends and was well liked and all that but was always stuck in an odd sense of isolation. I never felt as if I could convey my odd, dark, and complex outlook on things directly to people I loved and cared about and felt disconnected from others entirely. I suffered through a great deal of low points and depression because of this until I found music. All of the artists I looked up to and were inspired by seemed to have nailed down that way of inviting you to a new world that is theirs and theirs only. I got completely lost in it and knew thats what I was missing and called to do. Through making and writing music I discovered a whole new way of communication and connection with people that I had been missing in my life. It opened doors for community, understanding, enlightenment, and releases from stress that I never couldve shaken before and I dove headfirst into it all, producing and tweaking and expressing for years.
It became my solace.
Recently, through the past year or two, it's brought me to places I'd never dreamed of going and given me opportunities to reach all different kinds of heads, but there was something missing in the chaotic competetive game this can turn into. I felt like I was losing my voice. I've been playing in front of bigger crowds, making more bangers and dancefloor shakers and gettin a bit lost in the sauce. I hit a real gutter point and felt like quitting because I was missing that initial drive and losing focus of what i was trying to do in the first place, which is communicate a real, honest, authentic, personal message that is a reflection of who I am and how I feel.
So, in order to keep my head and heart straight, I've gone through my back catalog and carefully selected pieces that came from me in times that I needed them the most. Every song in this collection was created out of a need for nothing more than pure expression. Some of the mixdowns, genres, and sounds in them are probably not perfect by any means and to keep that feeling of authenticity I decided to not do any remastering so they reflect the time and musical progression I've gone through more accurately. Think of it as a kind of sketchbook or regurgitation of all my past experiences. An attempt to make an honest piece of art for art's sake and nothing more.
A huge thank you to everyone who's ever listened to my music and supported me thus far. Every single one of you literally mean the world to me and I wouldnt be able to do any of this without the friends and family that make up this beautiful community. I promise I'm just getting started.
