''Path.Finder'' (stylised as ''PATH.FINDER'') is the fourth

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

by American

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

producer

Notaker David Nothaker (born September 23, 1989), better known by his stage name Notaker (stylized as И O T A K E R), is an American DJ and producer based in St. Louis, Missouri. He is best known for his midtempo-progressive style and for breakout sing ...

. It was released by Canadian record label

Monstercat Monstercat (formerly known as Monstercat Media) is a Canadian independent electronic music record label based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 2011 by Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen, the label released music on a tri-weekly basis unt ...

on April 8, 2019. It contains six songs, including features of Singer-songwriter Karra and Eric Lumiere. The two singles "Into the Light" and "Each Other" were each released on January 31, 2019, and on March 18, 2019, respectively.

Background and release

The extended play released as a follow up to Notaker's previous extended play, ''

Erebus I ''Erebus I'' is the third extended play by American electronic music producer Notaker. It was released by Canadian record label mau5trap on July 6, 2018. It contains five songs, including collaborations with American DJ and producer BlackGummy ...

'', released in 2018 on Canadian record label

Mau5trap Mau5trap (stylized as mau5trap; pronounced "mousetrap") is an independent Canadian record label founded in 2007 by electronic music producer Deadmau5. The label was formerly a vanity label, hosting releases through labels such as Ultra Music, Vi ...

. It was marked as Notaker's second extended play release by Monstercat, since the release of his ''

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

'' extended play in 2017. ''Path.Finder'' was released as the third in his ''Vessel'' series, which was released as a way to "showcase and discuss stories and themes not possible to convey in just one song". To promote ''Path.Finder'', two songs from the extended play were released as singles. Its lead single, "Into the Light", was released on January 31, 2019, and it's sophomore single "Each Other" on March 18. On April 8, 2019, the album was released exclusively as a digital download on international digital stores through

Critical reception

''Path.Finder'' was well received by most critics. Farrell Sweeney of ''

Dancing Astronaut Dancing Astronaut is an American media platform founded in 2009 that primarily covers the electronic dance music industry. The website covers concerts and festivals, reports on entertainment news, reviews music, and publishes original content sy ...

'' noted the songs featured as having an "underlying dark edge that frames a collection of upbeat, vocal-lead, and ominous singles juxtaposed against one another." ''ThisSongSlaps'' Lauren Ikenn wrote that the extended play was "well worth the wait" and was "everything we wanted and more." Writing for ''The Nocturnal Times'', Caroline O'Keefe compared it to Notaker's previous extended play, Erebus I, writing that the prior is more

progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

-base, writing that the record took "listeners on a transcendent journey through progressive anthems, some of his most unique productions to date, and emotionally-rich narratives that culminate in a mesmerising balance of delight and remembrance." Asad Aftab of ''EDMTunes'' praised the extended play, stated that Notaker had assembled "emotionally powerful, synth-heavy bass music by crafting radiant soundscapes & coupling it with masterful production" and concluding his review by writing that it "It charts the evolution of Notaker as a musical artist as he explores a more melodic sound throughout, and it's exciting to see him evolve his sound even more on future releases." The single "Each Other" had also garnered positive reception from critics, with Jim Babaoglu of ''EDM Sauce'' describing the single as an "uplifting progressive

synthwave Synthwave (also called outrun, retrowave, or futuresynth) is an electronic music microgenre that is based predominantly on the music associated with action, science-fiction, and horror film soundtracks of the 1980s. Other influences are drawn fr ...

track that possesses both beauty and power", later stating that Notaker "never seems to disappoint." ''EDMTunes Ian Thompson called the single a "blast from Notaker's original synthwave style" and noted it as having a

Seven Lions 7 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 7 or seven may also refer to: * AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era * 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era * The month of July Music Artists * Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist * ...

-esque beginning. Writing for ''Vents Magazine'', RJ Frometa stated that the song was a dance-primed "melodic midtempo track", writing that Notaker has continued to "take fans by surprise with the versatility in his production styles, continually testing new angles and giving his music a remarkability only a few artists are able to achieve."

Track listing

Release history

References

External links

*
Lyrics of this EP
at

Genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...

{{Authority control 2019 EPs Monstercat EPs Electronic EPs Synthwave albums Electronic albums by American artists Notaker EPs