Edward F Butler

Edward F Butler spent quite a while behind the scenes. As a filmmaker, he was making clips for the likes of Oh Volcano but was working on perfecting his own brand of electronic neo-soul with the now-defunct HOWL.

As the voice of HOWL, he stood out for having a malleable and emotive set of vocals, so it’s little surprise that, as he continues down the solo path, he’s put that unique element to the forefront of his latest project, EP1.

‘Futures Full’ is the first track on EP1, and if he wanted to show that he’s more than just another run-of-the-mill producer and singer-songwriter, Butler’s done a good job. It’s a hauntingly sparse piece that, at least for a while, gets by with piano, some skittering beats and little else.

Instead, Butler’s vocal interplay with his female collaborator stays at the forefront for much of the song, as she coos softly and he dances between breathlessness and raw emotional power.

It all comes to a thunderous climax when suddenly you’re overwhelmed by the introduction of more drums and synths, and Butler himself adopts a powerful singing style not too dissimilar to Future Islands’ Samuel T Herring. It’s a fine example of glitchy soul.

Words by Eugenie Johnson

Tipped by Adam from Alphabet Bands