Music Review: ‘Symbiont’ – Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin

Symbiont

Climate change is arguably the biggest challenge we face. Everyone from politicians to the person on the street have an opinion on whether it exists or what should be done about it. So this is a topic that’s ripe for artistic expression. With Symbiont Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin have created a musical response to the state of the world which is less polemic and more an expression of spirit.

Musically the two bring a wealth of cultural backgrounds to the production. Blount brings an Afro-futurist sensibility, grounded in everything from bluegrass to gospel, to the mix. Obomsawin, is an Indigenous North American musician internationally known as a jazz bassist. She draws upon both her cultural heritage and her chosen genre of music when creating.

On Blount’s previous album (The New Faith) he pulled listeners into a dystopian future where humans had destroyed most of the planet. Symbiont is a kind of a prequel with Obomsawin and Blount pleading with us to heed the warnings we are being given about the potential for disaster. 

Symbiont is a deceptive album. Instead of the music reflecting the overt urgency of the crises the world now faces we are given something far more subtle. In fact at first listen you almost miss the intensity underlying every song. However, as you listen you hear the undercurrents, the fear, and the warnings of the danger we face.

We also hear, while not exactly solutions, but messages of hope and resilience. Somehow each song reflects on the attitude shifts we as a species have to make if we hope the world will survive. There’s never anything overt stated lyrically, but the overall message is one of changing our relationship to the world around us to something more holistic than what currently exists.

Musically Blount and Obomsawin have combined modern electronics with traditional sounds and instruments to make a flowing soundscape. They have layered sounds and melodies over a foundation of heartbeat rhythms created by drums and drum machines to create something carrying echoes of ancient times while maintaining a contemporary feel. 

Symbiont is not only a timely and important work, it is also a compelling and exciting exploration of music and lyrics. This is one album where the issues addressed by the artists have not compromised their artistic expression. A wonderful piece of work that deserves to be heard and talked about.