“Lost in Awareness” is about the secret room in your mind, finding it—only to find it occupied by a swarm of thoughts and memories. Jonnyung, the leading brain behind this sonic maze, weaves a dense tapestry of sound that’s as claustrophobic as it is cathartic. It’s like being caught in some never-ending déjà vu, a maelstrom of distorted basslines and haunting atmospherics that seems to merge the past, present, and future.
The more I kept listening to the release, the more I kept thinking of the existential meanings behind being “lost in awareness.” Is it an existential state of being or one of mind? Jonnyung skillfully incorporates the elements of Future Garage and UK Garage so strongly that it’s like a ticking clock to some kind of ultimate accounting. Meanwhile, Ambient and influences from Dubstep whisper their secrets into my heart, goading me or challenging me to confront the darkest holes of my own psyche.
Here production is also a marvel: Each layer of sound has been given a delicate setting to give a feel of depth and dimensionality. It’s surely one of those tracks that can take you into a dreamscape where familiar and alien elements follow each other in an uncomfortable alliance. Of course, the nods to Burial, Four Tet, and Aphex Twin and the like are all there, but he’s made himself a niche within that soundscapes that’s identifiably his.
I couldn’t shake the idea from my head that “Lost in Awareness” is not a product release but a sign, reflecting our general disorientation towards the world, which every day becomes more disconnected and uncertain. It’s one that reminds us that even in the most dimly lit recesses of our minds there’s beauty lying in wait.
