B-Side Guys

Bobby T. Lewis’ latest offering “Holographic Feel” exists as both musical creation and philosophical statement—a lo-fi meditation on artificiality that practices what it preaches through deliberate production choices. Released quietly sixteen days ago, this track captures something increasingly rare in contemporary music: genuine spontaneity preserved through analog devotion.

The song’s sparse instrumentation immediately establishes its documentary-like quality, with slightly out-of-tune guitars and tape hiss functioning not as imperfections but as essential textural elements. Lewis’ commitment to minimal preconception manifests in arrangements that feel discovered rather than constructed—each element entering the mix with organic timing that digital quantization would have erased.

What gives “Holographic Feel” its conceptual weight are Lewis’ lyrics exploring simulation and constructed reality. When he observes “A simulated field/Where none of it is real,” the message resonates beyond philosophical musing, becoming commentary on music production itself. The repeated phrase “I love how it feels/As a holographic field” creates fascinating tension—finding genuine emotion within acknowledged artifice, much like the warmth listeners discover in deliberately lo-fi recordings.

The song’s standout moment arrives precisely where Lewis directed attention—that 1:12 keyboard solo performed on vintage equipment with its own loaded history (reportedly stolen by a church deacon from the artist’s childhood). This personal anecdote adds another layer to the song’s exploration of authenticity, as Lewis reclaims and repurposes this instrument within new context. The keyboard’s slightly weathered timbre becomes the perfect sonic embodiment of the song’s themes—something artificial yet undeniably genuine in its imperfections.

Chris Hanzsek’s mastering deserves special mention, preserving the recording’s intimate character while ensuring it translates across listening environments without sacrificing its essential rawness. This balancing act between accessibility and authenticity mirrors the song’s lyrical tension between simulation and emotional reality.

“Holographic Feel” positions Lewis as a thoughtful voice within a growing community of artists rejecting digital perfection in favor of human documentation. For listeners familiar with his work in Ghost Parliament, treebends, and Cassette Masters, this latest offering reveals consistent philosophical threads running through diverse projects—a commitment to spontaneity that serves as “a lo-fi reprieve from evil” in an increasingly programmed musical landscape.