Up is the Down is the - Memory

​Up is the Down is the

Memory
self-released; 2016

​3.6 out of 5

By Mimi Strauss

It’s Saturday night. Instead of going out, you would prefer to stay in and eat some delicious lasagna on the couch by yourself. Memory by Up is the Down is the is the soundtrack for your night. Upbeat, yet unsettlingly and a tad melancholic, Memory will hit all the right spots for your loner cravings. 

In the same vein as Radiohead and James Blake, Up is the Down is the charms the ears through a combination of electronic and acoustic sounds. King of Up is the Down is the is multi-instrumentalist Andrew Martin based in Boise, Idaho. Memory marks the electronic producer and singer-songwriter’s second album, following Mantra, released in 2014.

Martin’s intertwined acoustic and electronic sounds, although not unique in concept, are refreshing. Soft hand-claps and finger snaps find their way in between a low base. Martin’s slightly droning vocals hit a nicely awkward spot between plucks on an electric guitar. Although dark at times, Up is the Down is the strays from the end-of-the-world mentality associated with Radiohead.  

Much of Memory sounds calculated and finely orchestrated, yet also contains an air of freestyle. Despite these contrasting elements, the album as a whole keeps a consistent groove that rolls between the tracks. This groove can be attributed to tight beats and sublime bass riffs. On the track “How Could You Have Known” the beats and bass come truly alive and work together to create a perfectly “mwa” sound akin to the magic created between parmesan and tomatoes. 

Memory tells the story of a breakdown in communication. Martin questions how we construct our realities based on the memories that we choose to keep and choose to discard. He muses quietly on these topics through repeated, hypnotizing lines and subtle word-play. The repetition of words creates mellow, reflective environments of sound. 

​Andrew Martin’s Memory is simultaneously fun and reflective. His sound manages to remain light without delving too deep into pop. Give it a listen, bring some lasagna.

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