A Look Back on EMBRZ' Debut Album, Moments
The career of EMBRZ stands as testament to the fact that hard work and perseverance pay off in the long run. The Irish DJ and producer has been releasing music since 2015, and in the past couple of years his career has truly taken flight.
The turning point arguably came when EMBRZ (real name Jack Casey) began working with Lane 8. Following a flurry of releases on the American artist’s This Never Happened imprint as well as support gigs on his tours, the name EMBRZ is in the vocabulary of more dance music fans than ever before.
Such a rise seldom boils down to a single instant. It’s often a series of events, a chain reaction that takes place gradually as the rest of your life happens in the background. An artist can capture this progression in a singular statement, however — and that’s exactly what EMBRZ accomplished in Moments.
The effort marked his debut studio-length album, coming out on This Never Happened on September 23rd, 2021. Arriving ahead of the full release was the lead single, “Sleeptalking” featuring Emily Nance. Its downtempo drum pattern and tranquil sound design perfectly complemented Nance’s breathy vocal, offering a taste of what was to come from the rest of Moments.
“Take a breath, let’s begin” kicked off the album in a similar fashion before “Where You Are” featuring Lizzy Land raised the tempo and turned up the energy. “Hide & Seek” came next, offering up an unforgettable melody and singalong vocals. “Rise” featuring Abroad brought the energy back down ever so slightly, hinting at the push-pull tension dynamic in so many of EMBRZ’ DJ sets.
“Stay” and “Need U” elevated the mood of the album once again, and “Lost in Translation” showcased ethereal vocals underscored by a dusty yet soulful broken beat. Then, on “Always There,” EMBRZ flexes his sound design expertise with effervescent lead synths framed by lush atmospheres.
Up next on the tracklist was the aforementioned lead single “Sleeptalking,” followed by the soothing harmonies of “It’s ok, Don’t Worry.” Moments closed out with the aptly titled “this is where it ends…” The song’s bittersweet chord progression is punctuated by crisp, pitched-up vocal chops that seem to suggest, in some subliminal way, that this is actually just the beginning.
Many moments of triumph lie in store for EMBRZ, after all. What milestones, what apexes will follow have yet to be seen — but if the past is any indication, his trajectory will remain upward. Fans can be sure of one thing: that EMBRZ will continue to translate the adventures to come into truly timeless music.
