august at night - Collection I (EP)
august at night is an artist who has seen 2023 be a pivotal year in his career. Returning with a fresh sound has allowed the songwriter to find his vision, culminating in his new debut EP ‘Collection I’. Opening with previously released single ‘all i ever had’, which showed us a soulful, acoustic and intimate side to august’s writing, new tracks ‘type’, ‘fault line’ and ‘hourglass’ all celebrate in a new era for his music. Increasingly emotional lyricism and gentle instrumentation are features across the board, whilst the project still keeps elements of modern R&B and Trap that august at night has always displayed. ‘type’ is an affectionately charged track with heavy bass and divine electric guitars and synths and ‘hourglass’ is a comparatively upbeat, hopeful and glittery track, each with lyrical themes of love and connection.
Lead single ‘fault line’ brings together elements old and new for the epitome of this new direction. First, the listener is disorientated by electronic noises bouncing from left to right, before the track falls into an ethereal combination of heartfelt, warm vocals and restrained acoustic guitar. As the track progresses, glittery synth pads and plucks, rattly hi hats and a punchy kick are brought into the mix. What this creates is a poignant, evocative and cinematic experience that roots its feeling in wistful, dreamy, melancholic, joyous love. ‘Collection I’ shows us august at night in a new light, bringing listeners deeper into his thoughts and experiences than ever before.
august explains the project: “There is Collection I, and there are the songs that came before it. We call that period, “the before times”. Those times are prehistoric. Primordial. They’re a planet that doesn’t know yet what it is, or what it wants to be.
Collection I is Era One. The birth of something special. Something that pokes its smooth head out of the water and looks up at the setting sun, the rising stars, and says I am.
New beginnings can happen at unexpected times. august at night is the perfect example of this phenomenon. Across 2021 and 2022 the artist quickly generated a buzz in the press with a series of singles, but this sparked a need to redefine his sound. Now, august has returned after a year-long hiatus, with the successful single ‘KFY’ releasing earlier this year, followed by the single ‘all i ever had’, featured on this EP.
august at night is an artist that continues to evolve and surprise those following his progress, but is no doubt an exciting talent and one to watch for 2023 and beyond.