Featured Artist: Tourist
Jessica Makin | 4th August 2015
Photo Credit: Facebook
Tourist
Noun;
A person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure.
If you could label any artist a ‘perfectionist’ in terms of what and how they produce their music, a perfect example would be Tourist. London based William Phillips creates a sound like no other, which is simplistic yet emotional and carefully thought through. Despite there being few words in his songs, you can still identify with the emotions they convey. Tourist has produced a stripped back and minimal sound. His songs are poetic, deep and cause you to contemplate space and time a little, pulling you and your mind away from everyday life.
‘Patterns’ was the first Tourist song I heard. The simplicity of the playful melody and soul of the vocals delivered by Liane La Havas, captured my headspace immediately. Hearing Tourist play it live while supporting Annie Mac Presents in Birmingham last year enhanced my love of his music. It was incredible to hear such a digital sound come to life heightened by a kit of technical instruments being played on stage.
‘Your Girl’ has reached over 12 million hits on YouTube in the past three years. His new track ‘Holding On’, featuring the incredible vocalists Josef Salvat and Niia, is already proving very popular and is definitely a current favourite of mine. After catching him again at Parklife this year, I could tell he’s growing in confidence as his work receives more recognition.
Tourist is adding his own unique style to the increasingly popular genre of electronic music. He is also helping to wipe out the opinion that electronic music isn’t really music. Nobody who has listened to his work could ever dare to tell you that.