Seven Layer Piano Cakes unveils his winning Endgame in the form of a darkly intense new single — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
Painstakingly fashioned from sumptuously layered synthesizers, a muted backbeat, emotionally rich vocals and the complex, soulful harmonies of emerging female singer VRL, Endgame is a dramatically sweeping work that stands out from the synth-pop pack. Seamlessly weaving together strands of dream pop, synthwave, new wave, and dark pop, the track creates and inhabits its own sonic netherworld, earning a place of pride on a mixtape next to The Weekend, Depeche Mode, M83 and Beach House. Although it may seem chilly on first listen, Endgame was designed to be turned up all the way to 10. After a dreamy but undeniably powerful start, the track’s latter third takes off musically — the song does not fade away, but fittingly explodes on its way out.
Endgame is third chapter in Seven Layer Piano Cakes’ symbolic Chess Trilogy (following Novel Opening and Middlegame). While the first instalment focused on the early days of the pandemic and the second touched upon issues of anxiety, depression, and apathy that many experience in early middle age, Endgame focuses on the complexities inherent in the end and aftermath of a long-term relationship.
Seven Layer Piano Cakes is the musical alter ego of Justin Hoyt, a Los Angeles attorney and law professor. Hoyt, a classically trained pianist and vocalist, is inspired to write, perform and produce music that is a throwback to the intricacies and sounds of different prior eras. Not content to establish just one sonic identity, Hoyt prefers to create a bouillabaisse of sounds, calling back the vibes of acts as diverse as The Beach Boys, Elliott Smith and Sufjan Stevens. One thing is always consistent with Seven Layer Piano Cakes — regardless of the song, you will always get some seventh chords, myriad musical layers and intricate vocal harmonies (the “cakes”). Hence the name.
Endgame was co-written and co-produced by Hoyt’s longtime collaborator Ian Stahl (Kingsize Soundlabs), and mastered by the legendary engineers Greg Calbi and Steven Fallone at Sterling Sound. Listen to the track above, check it out on Deezer, hear more from Seven Layer Piano Cakes below, and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
