{"id":28673,"date":"2021-08-23T03:24:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T08:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/?p=28673"},"modified":"2021-08-23T13:26:56","modified_gmt":"2021-08-23T18:26:56","slug":"fldpln-andrew-saks-interview-with-james-lowe-kjag-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/fldpln-andrew-saks-interview-with-james-lowe-kjag-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"FLDPLN (Andrew Saks) interview with James Lowe (KJAG Radio)"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- VideographyWP Plugin Message: Automatic video embedding prevented by plugin options. -->\n\n<p><em>&#8220;FLDPLN presents stellar electronica laced with reverie-inspiring textures that beautifully combine. Fluid, relaxing and daydream-provoking, Andrew Saks&#8217; foray into the world of electronica is a most welcome one&#8221;<\/em>&nbsp;~&nbsp;<strong>The Spill Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe  id=\"_ytid_97548\"  width=\"696\" height=\"391\"  data-origwidth=\"696\" data-origheight=\"391\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aD8y8ef7C10?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;A whole new world of electronic-based dreampop&#8230; With a perfect sense of space and symmetry,&#8230; a sound unlike pretty much anything else out there on the ambient-pop-gaze music landscape&#8221;&nbsp;<\/em>~&nbsp;<strong>Big Takeover Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Electronic reverie&#8230; there is some continuity between the blissful escapism of Saks&#8217; previous band Sway and FLDPLN&#8230; ecstatic yet chill, and harmonious while offering an unexpectedly welcome fusion&#8221;&nbsp;<\/em>~&nbsp;<strong>The Record Stache<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Up up and away in bliss&#8230; an artist that definitely should be explored&#8230; dreamy, blissfully textural&#8221;<\/em>&nbsp;~&nbsp;<strong>Amplify Music Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Succulent sonic chill-pill layers combine in reverie, bringing to mind such artists as Slowdive, Bowery Electric, Tycho, South Pacific and Bonobo&#8221;<\/em>&nbsp;~&nbsp;<strong>Skylight Webzine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Phoenix-based dream-electronic artist&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/fldpln.bandcamp.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>FLDPLN<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;presents the<a href=\"https:\/\/fldpln.bandcamp.com\/album\/escalator\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>&nbsp;&#8216;Escalator&#8217;<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;album, loaded with electronic-based dreampop deeply influenced by 80s pop with shoegaze-like textures and an ambient aesthetic, created by layered saxophones and synths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FLDPLN (\u201cfield-plan\u201d) is the solo project of&nbsp;<strong>Andrew Saks<\/strong>, former frontman of Southern California shoegaze band&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/1bElSTQqO1Vd1pia2t7JeS\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Sway<\/strong><\/a>. A short time after they split, Andrew put down the guitar to return to his first love &#8211; the saxophone &#8211; which he has played from the age of 12. Largely electronic, FLDPLN concocts dreamy, blissfully textural songs featuring synthesizers, vocals and layered saxophones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Preceded by initial singles &#8216;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/fldpln\/escalator\/s-2d12zarJxU8\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Escalator&#8217;<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;and &nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Ze3yBEo47kM\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&#8216;Aliso&#8217;<\/a><\/strong>, this long-player was written, produced, recorded and mixed by Andrew Saks at his home studio in Phoenix, Arizona. This follows up his 2018 album<a href=\"https:\/\/fldpln.bandcamp.com\/releases\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>&nbsp;&#8216;Let You Down&#8217;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a>and his 2021 single&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/4cgey2m7TRtdV4A0tRTj8O?si=P_hU-P1dQ3SWDKs7W_PmkA\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>&#8216;Cashout&#8217;<\/strong><\/a>, release in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEscalator is really the result of my years of dabbling in electronic music production combined with my desire to reconnect with my roots, having been a saxophone player for most of my life,&#8221; says&nbsp;<strong>Andrew Saks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;For this album, I wanted to write songs that are true to the way I hear things in my head, dreamy, blurry, beautiful without compromise and incorporate the horn as a textural instrument as well as another melodic voice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea behind FLDPLN was to incorporate Saks&#8217; love for electronic music production and early 90\u2019s post-punk sensibilities, while allowing saxophones and synthesizers to be used to fill-in texturally, where guitars have typically been the fundamental building element of the \u201cshoegaze\u201d and \u201cdream pop\u201d sub-genres. &nbsp;Saxophone textures are layered, at times co-mingling with synthesizers to create a soft, warm bed of sound, the perfect backdrop for the whisper-like vocals reminiscent of Andrew\u2019s hushed voice with Sway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At times, Andrew\u2019s horn playing features soaring leads that lift the dreamlike and serene to near-anthemic heights while, in other instances, they convey an emotional, whisper-like voice. While certainly nowhere near new to experimental music, the tone and texture of the saxophone in this context effectively lends itself to ethereal lullabies and reflective daydreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While textures and sound are an integral component of the music, Andrew does not shy away from hook-laden songwriting. This music is highly influenced by childhood memories of going to bed each night, falling asleep with Walkman headphones on and later waking up in the darkness, in a partial dream-state with the pop songs of the 1980\u2019s &#8211; Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Bruce Springsteen, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Debbie Gibson, Human League still whispering in his ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of July 30, the &#8216;Escalator&#8217; LP will be available via the&nbsp;<strong>Sillas Famosas<\/strong>&nbsp;label, through online stores such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/artist\/fldpln\/1358521213\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Apple Music<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;and streaming platforms like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/363PaWGixHMsJ3coR4r7yK?si=rOyQ1P2pTD2oHPUd2cUpIA&amp;dl_branch=1\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Spotify<\/strong><\/a>. The album can be pre-ordered via&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/fldpln.bandcamp.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Bandcamp<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;FLDPLN presents stellar electronica laced with reverie-inspiring textures that beautifully combine. Fluid, relaxing and daydream-provoking, Andrew Saks&#8217; foray into the world of electronica is a most welcome one&#8221;&nbsp;~&nbsp;The Spill Magazine &#8220;A whole new world of electronic-based dreampop&#8230; With a perfect sense of space and symmetry,&#8230; a sound unlike pretty much anything else out there on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-28673","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-video","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rock","8":"post_format-post-format-video"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28673"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28683,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28673\/revisions\/28683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}