This debut album is the new soundtrack for the video game generation
Button Masher Origin Story
Filled with complex melodies and harmonies, Button Masher Origin Story is a masterful display of musicianship packaged in an 8-bit vibed album. From the opening song “Come Back” to album finale “Dawn To Dusk” the musicianship and production value are on full display.
Origin Story is the perfect name for an album created by keyboardist Jake Silverman aka ‘Button Masher’. With his roots steeped in the wild world of video game music, one could imagine themselves playing the Legend of Zelda while rocking out this collection of beautiful music. With the song titles as not so subtle references to video games evidenced in “Press Start” and “Boss Fight” the intent of the album proves why no musician in the world is better suited for the title “Button Masher”.
While the video game vibe exists on this album, don’t let that fool you into thinking anything about this record is one dimensional. The compositional value is through the roof and will be studied by musicians for years to come.
Songs like “The Mana Sword” highlight the high level of musicianship beyond the framework of the compositions. Silverman and drummer Rueben Gingrich flex their music muscles with complex and soulful solos on “The Mana Sword” and throughout the album. “Jeruselum Mill” is a great example of how a complex synth solo can be so well spoken that it serves the song every bit as much as shows off the chops of Silverman.
“Press Start” is a tune that features both musicians soloing chops, with Gingrich stretching out for a well spoken and technically impressive drum solo. “Boss Fight” jumps in right after that creating a soundscape fit to take down Bowser and save the Princess. While Baby Bowser may be disappointed with his father, the listener definitely won’t be disappointed with the composition.
What makes “Boss Fight” stand out is a funk groove that kicks in about a minute into the song that shows a groove feel that gets the head bobbing. That is a feature also prominent of “The Wicked Man Who Hailed From The Desert.” The back beat is funky and rocking and the song stands out as having a little more edge with moments that have the feel of the popular Cory Henry solo from the Snarky Puppy album “Lingus.”
While it’s easy to see all this music as a backing track for a video game, it’s also easy to see this music being mind blowing to watch in a live performance. While the overall sound would place this album in a video game specific category, there are elements of this record that could be classified as jazz, rock, funk, electronic and badass (if badass is a genre).
Comparisons could be drawn to the work of Louis Cole and Thundercat. For any musician with a mind for theory, this is a must listen to album. For anyone that just enjoys complex, fun, technical music with a strong pocket and a beautiful melodic sense, “Origin Story” by Button Masher is now available on all digital platforms.
Button Masher’s Origin Story is available for purchase on bandcamp and most streaming platforms. Make the right choice: https://www.jakesilvermanjazz.com/
IG: @_buttonmasher
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