Hollis Parker “Too Blind to See”
Hollis Parker is a name you need to familiarize yourself with if you’re in the mood for some sophisticated and soulful house music. He snuck out onto the scene last year and garnered support from the likes of house stalwarts DJ Sneak, Luke Solomon and KiNK, and he’s really finding his form on his newest venture. On “Too Blind to See,” he intertwines lovely Rhodes chords, sophisticated jazz riffs and some pitched vocals that’ll be sure to elicit some kind of emotion. I’d imagine these sounds pairing well with a black-tie art gallery or NYC loft party.
For those across the pond, Hollis Parker will be dropping into SoSure Music’s forthcoming event on October 24 at Basing House in London, where he’ll likely be cultivating some seriously groovy vibes. He’s also working on his debut LP, so keep an eye out for that one.
Were you impulsive on this track, or did you have a sketch in mind before you started?
The way “Too Blind to See” came together was similar to the way I put most of my tracks together. I listen to a ton of old records and wait until I hear something that catches my ear. Once I have something, I’ll do a quick sketch with a kind of dummy drum loop, and I’ll loop or chop the main sample until it fits and creates the mood I’m after. Then, I’ll go through other records, finding complementary samples until I’ve built a bunch of optional pieces or phrases to create with. So, in some ways it’s impulsive. I hear the main loop in my head, and then I can hear that the track needs a saxophone, for example, so I’ll dig out the records I know have good sax bits. On the other hand, it is very methodical, as I can sometimes spend hours looking for just the right pieces to go on the track.
What’s the takeaway here? Is there a message or vibe you hope to get across to listeners?
Absolutely. Don’t let the one that got away become the one that got away. I’ve come across it dozens of times in my life, when a person refuses a relationship with another person for whatever reason. But they might be the one; you’re just too blind to see.
How does this production reflect your personality/ethos?
I feel like everything in this production reflects who I am as a person and as a producer. I come from a hip-hop background with an era of chopped jazz samples and breakbeats. That’s exactly what this track is, but there’s some added 909-style drums and a house tempo. I also gravitate toward more moody instruments. The Rhodes chords in here are pretty much the prototypical sound and vibe that my ears are naturally pulled in by. It’s basically the culmination of all of my musical experiences to this point.
What’s your favorite sound/synth/effect/etc. used here?
It would probably be the main Rhodes sample. I absolutely love the vibe of it and the mood it sets. I’m also particularly proud of the way I chopped it up and made it fit not only in a musical context, but also how I made it fit the emotion I was trying to give off.
Choose one feeling that sums up this release, and describe it to us.
It’s hard to pin it down to one feeling, since it’s meant to be a combination of several, but I suppose it would probably be regret—or at least cautioning against being regretful. That seems to be a kind of recurring theme in my album, actually. Don’t look past what’s right in front of you, or you may regret it.
