What happens when two artists defined by independence decide to share the reins? Particularly in the realm of electronic music, so often crafted in the privacy of a bedroom or a solitary studio, collaboration can feel like an exercise in ceding control. For Brothertiger and Hotel Pools, this exercise proved surprisingly easy.
Months of swapping ideas from opposite coasts gradually yielded Paradigms, a joint album that finds the two veteran artists melding their signature sounds into a dreamy electronica confection. Over seven hypnotic songs, Brothertigerâs entrancing vocals float in a rich mist of layered synths, creating an ethereal sonic atmosphere that feels simultaneously calm and climactic.
At its face, this sound may not be unfamiliar to fans of either artist. Hotel Pools, the moniker of Portland-based artist and producer Ben Braun, has been a stalwart presence in the vaporwave scene since 2018, and Brothertigerâs John Jagos has amassed a cult following for his masterful electronic production. Their affinity for synths isnât the only thing they have in common â after demoralizing experiences with traditional record labels, both artists opted to go fully independent and release music directly to their fans.
âHotel Pools was born because I was tired of having to deal with other people controlling my output,â Ben explains. âWhen the project was born in 2018, I was just putting demos on Soundcloud â totally grassroots, and it just kind of connected with an audience. I leaned into making the music I wanted to make, having the artwork made that I wanted made, working with who I wanted to work with, and kind of shunning the industry to a certain degree.â
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, John was honing his craft in New York and building a name for Brothertiger on the assemblage of music blogs that defined 2010s music discovery. Platforms like Bandcamp, Soundcloud and Myspace presented a refreshingly straightforward alternative to the record label route, offering more creative autonomy and deeper relationships with fans.
But after years of writing, producing, and releasing their own music, both artists found themselves yearning for creative kinship.
âBeing an independent solo artist, Iâm so used to working by myself, and I know Ben is too,â says John. âBut the past two years, Iâd been thinking it would be cool to collaborate with someone whose music I really like who is also a solo artist who shares a similar vision and sound.â
John reached out to Ben, Ben sent over a demo, John added lyrics. Immediately, both artists felt struck by not only the fluidity of the working relationship but the comfort they felt in each otherâs artistry.
âLyrics started coming to me the second I heard the demo,â says John. âI had this idea of someone whoâs far out at sea, not because they are lost, but to be alone with their thoughts. It touches on loss and how a human is meant to process it, if there is a right way. When I sent the song back to Ben, he told me about how he had just lost his brother and how this song affected him because of that. From that moment, we knew we had to continue making music together.â
That first track became âBlack,â a sleek and moody gateway into an album that pulses with equal parts loneliness and self-possession. The pair traded demos back and forth, tinkering with stems and writing lyrics until the album came into view. Artistic ego was surprisingly absent, and roles were delineated naturally â John handled lyrics and vocals, Ben spearheaded much of the production, and the resulting album feels remarkably native to both musicians.
When two established artists put their heads (and their extensive vintage synth collections) together, the music they make will always be more than the sum of its parts. For Brothertiger and Hotel Pools, collaboration was a reminder to relish the creative process and find solidarity with other independent musicians.
âJust start experimenting,â says Ben. âThatâs whatâs fun, and thatâs whatâs going to make good music.â