All images credit Brendan de Cruz

Ever heard of Pete Maher?

For those who’re scratching their heads, Pete is a renowned mastering engineer abroad and has worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Snow Patrol, Nine Inch Nails, U2, Katy Perry, Nicole Scherzinger, Lana Del Rey, Damien Rice, and the list goes on and on. You can read more here.

Hailing from London, United Kingdom, Pete had entered the UK music scene in the 90’s as a musician. But in 2002, he discovered his passion in audio mastering when he stumbled upon some audio mastering tools.

But wait, what on earth is audio mastering?

It’s basically a process where a mastering engineer conducts the final tweaks on a recorded audio file before they’re sent to the factory to be turned into CDs or DVDs (or uploaded online).

Basically a mastering engineer is the last gate keeper when it comes to audio quality. Given his experience, Pete certainly did justice to Brendan’s vocal prowess.

Sharing a similar passion; making music and enjoying the entire process, Brendan de Cruz’s recently released EP, Black, is a harmoniously emotive, soulful journey on a rainy sunset in a blue Datsun.

And credit has to go to Pete for making this such an emotive listen.

Best listened via the headphones, Black is a powerful piece of emotions neatly packaged in four audio tracks.

If Brendan’s 2016 debut EP “Even So” had set the benchmark for what was to come, Black is a continuation of that journey.

Typically taking inspiration from his own personal life, Brendan starts off the EP slowly through its namesake, “Black”.

For those who’re not familiar, Brendan is known for his deep vocal prowess when delivering the blues. Brendan’s sad, soothing voice is beautifully captured and presented through this EP.

While Black gets off to a slow start, “Jatuh” picks up the pace for the EP. Which is ironic considering that the word means “fall” in Malay. That said, I couldn’t help but feel each track was like an ode to irony. Although being the only non English track, it showcases Brendan’s versatility in transcending languages when conveying deep feelings.

“For your eyes” is a slow listen, perfect for a rainy sunset. Or a sunny morning. It depends.

It’s hard to pick a favorite from the four tracks but I found my feet tapping to “The Blues”, a witty song telling off someone to “take a hike”. Folks nursing a broken heart would find this track a catharsis.

It’s just a shame that Brendan has only released these tracks as an EP because by the end of it, I was wanting more.

That said, I’m glad Brendan enjoys what he is doing. His latest EP stands as a testament to his unwavering love towards music. Next, I hope he releases an album!

Brendan de Cruz’s Black can be purchased via Spotify and iTunes. Limited physical copies are available which can be purchased directly through Brendan. Listened to a local album or EP recently and would love to review it? Drop us an email at [email protected]