Producer and electronic artist Michael Pybus, professionally known as Big in Borneo, recently released his newest body of work ‘Setraline’ – a musical documentation of Pybus reaching out for help and going on Setraline after suffering from severe anxiety in the past year. “This new EP is named for the drug that helped me come out the other side. I had so much fun making it and it just came so naturally as I started to feel better!” says Pybus as he reveals the backstory to his entrancingly tranquil new release.
During his school days, the London-based electronic artist was actually a drummer and alto sax player. Four years ago, after moving on from a “life-changing” job in Borneo, Pybus went to visit his DJ brother in Australia. There he discovered his love for production, shifting away from his previous instruments towards the world of samples, MIDI keys and pads, and in his words has “never looked back”.
Listening to ‘Setraline’, there’s no doubt that Pybus is a talented producer with a distinctive sound. Although everything is programmed, the tracks feel surprisingly organic and emotionally raw. Each track is a unique experience, taking you on a journey through temptation in ‘Your Kiss’, emotional expression in ‘How it Feels’, where he sampled a recording from 1967 of children talking about their feeling, ending with the title track that sparked the writing of the EP, ‘Setraline’.
The EP is quite minimal as Pybus delicately experiments with very few elements, creating an enchanting and warm sound that is so calming it feels as though it is absorbing into you. As an electronic music fan myself, I love the new release and would definitely recommend checking it out!
Listen to ‘Setraline’ by Big in Borneo on Spotify now:
