Monday 4 March 2024

Applefish "Astrosat" (2022)

 

Had I not discovered Pale Blue Dot first, I may have passed up this record. Release prior, Astrosat is milder affair, another set of Cosmic Ambience pieces that dwell on their initial offerings. Soothing, calm and tranquil in nature, its album art suggests a peaceful surrender to the stillness of orbiting a planet. Spacey synths, airy ambiguities and softly droning astral melodies, these arrangements revel in the present and persist with little in the way of dramatics. Snoozey by design, these peaceful ambiences seduce with slumber, a sense of ease and remaining present.

The closing Primordial Soup and Particles both liven up. Mechanical percussive whirls and expansive synth melodies, a hastening of pace that exits this serene setting on an obscure note. Only Into The Aether toyed with unease and tension. Its slight eeriness is a delight, as if on the cusp of curiosity that might suddenly sour. It was my favorite among these stellar temporal tunes. I'm glad I gave this one a go!

Rating: 5/10