ialive - Quietism

While the world of independent rap lives in a post-minimal form of lofi impressionism and free associated jazz, ialive (Donovan Phillips) stretches back to the bouncy rhythms, deep concepts and day-glo style of a defined era. At his core, the Philadelphia artist leans towards east coast representations of hip hop, maintaining a tight low end and a strong emphasis on songwriting. Steeped in satire yet utterly honest, Quietism’s wide sonic range is pulled together by connected themes of making lemonade out of lemons. Although typically handling the music himself, Quietism marks the first instance in ialive’s 15-year career where production is handled by multiple producers. The core sound is defined by a melodic shifting and colorful phrasing provided in part by Illingsworth, Garfunkle, The Expert and Steel Tipped Dove. Quietism draws sonic comparisons to the work of The Ummah, and Native Tongue Era adjacent projects by Jay Dee.

As a member of a larger community, we often find Donovan in supporting roles. Whether backing up Wave Generators while touring, or engineering projects for friends and collaborators, it’s obvious his involvement is cooperative. Future plans include continual touring and maintaining the many projects in his home studio The Infinite Order of Working Ideas.

“After the birth of my daughter and a brief two year hiatus, I had a lot to sort through. I felt the pressure of navigating parenthood while maintaining my artistic identity. With the world in turmoil, balancing a family felt heavy but I didn’t want to perpetuate it through my music. Reflecting the world, my writing initially felt dark and hopeless, which was the opposite of my intent. I wanted to alleviate the weight I felt, eventually finding my voice through the use of satire. One night while reading, a quote was described to be ‘of a quietist nature’ and I started researching quietism.”

“Quietism as a philosophy resonated with me that I could navigate ideas and concepts without needing resolution. I could forgo conclusion for creative exercise. Parenting as I have come to realize is a good deal of providing, a great deal of presence and a ton of patience, but it is less doing than it is being. The lessons my daughter has given me is the realization that we are all individually navigating humanity. There isn’t any need for more than that.” - ialive