In this debut EP of the electro-pop/chillwave persuasion, Shallou penetrates the spirit with subtle precision,
cutting and healing all at once
Souls (2018) by Shallou
D
anceable in some parts, downtempo in others, dreamlike all around — the seven-track ethereal electro-pop/chillwave EP Souls by L.A. DJ-producer-singer Joe Boston (a.k.a. Shallou) is a masterwork in the genre.
While Skin is enchanting in its pronouncement of loss, Find, featuring Kasbo and vocals by Cody Lovaas, is beautifully barren in its pain ("I've been up all night thinking about you, about where I am going / I, I can't stay, but I can hardly move... And I, I can't say... where I'm off to / But I'll find you again.").
This self-same gloom seems to morph into a gentle swagger in Vignette ("'Cause I will float through the night time / And I get lost in the daylight / But I can't follow to meet you / You're far away out... on the other side.").
Replete with charm and catharsis, this production teems with ambient melodies, such as in tracks ...Lost and Sigh, and plush synths and soulful vocals, such as in Lie (see music video below), featuring Riah, and You and Me — all tempered only by Shallou's subtle intensity. This revelatory first EP is an extension of Shallou's previous works: melancholy electronic pop tracks that are warm yet wistful, with downtempo and midtempo beats that often sing of sorrow and longing.
His early works incorporated his own vocals, intentionally splintered for sheen and granularity. Souls' mostly lyrical tracks use his voice and those of guest artists — along with his unique musical concoctions — crippling and curing us all at once. 1
His early works incorporated his own vocals, intentionally splintered for sheen and granularity. Souls' mostly lyrical tracks use his voice and those of guest artists — along with his unique musical concoctions — crippling and curing us all at once. 
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