Jean Michel Jarre "Equinoxe" (1978)

In the mood for more of this nostalgic, imaginative yet primal electronic music, I picked up French composer Jean Michel Jarre's following record from the classic Oxygene. In the two years elapsed since, the music has advanced with a subtle refinement in composure and the evolution of bold and sharp, chirpy synths. In the brightest appearances they become reminiscent of Chiptune and 8-Bit tones in passing. The records use of environmental sound, wind, waves and the like are far more complimentary and overall the visions conjured resist any detraction from the quirkiness off these experimental noises, although blurbs, beeps, blips and barbs talk like an alien voice on Part 4 inbetween the sounds of limbs slashing through air like hasty karate chops.

It seems that in its beginning Equinoxe leans more so into the dark, paranoid and dystopian realm. With decades of music between this and now, what once may have been quite the shock now sounds more ambiguous and open to interpretation in the wake of progressively evil music. It has its upbeat and cheerful tunes too, Part 5 being a particularly playful, the soundtrack to an interplanetary cosmic fairground. These adventurous, chirpy melodies continue into the next part and then the record slowly finds its way to a darker setting before the roar of thunder and patter of rain leads us to the present with the sounds of French fairground music panning the stereo. It ushers in a contrasting conclusion to the record with more spacey, galactic wonder.

Equinoxe is seemingly a step up in production but it mostly spins similar ideas to its predecessor, which has quite the impact on first listen. Its an enjoyable record, the atmosphere and adventure is ripe and vivid but also novelty too. I can't help but feel I'll enjoy each record less as the wonder of a fresh stylistic pallet subsides. I spend a fair amount of time with these records, maybe ten or more spins before I write these blogs and Its music like this I'm sure you can form strong bonds with if it fills a gap in your musical experience or arrives at the right time. For all my listenss little has stuck with me in terms of its key melodies, they mostly fall back into the tapestry of instruments that make up its atmosphere.

Rating: 6/10

Jean Michel Jarre "Oxygene" (1976)

Early synthesizer music has always fascinated me, the likes of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream have been a pleasure for years so its always a delight to stumble onto some of these old records where electronic music sounded vastly different from today. Retro synth tones and soundscape ideals, an embracing of ambience and the imagination make these records starkly different from what else was available at the time, Its a true fascination to hear these early artists and their emerging visions. French composer Jean Michel Jarre certainly had a finger on the pulse and this forty minute classic is a delightful work that still holds up well to this day.

Its six songs flow like a river. The whirl of layered looped synth cycles buzz out entrancing and repetitive indulgences that subtly expand and contract as its various elements slowly shift over the songs. The droning constructs give way to lead tones that play out like a guitar solo on a couple of particularly engaging passageways. Its percussive edge is varied from track to track. A range of synthesized emulations, hi hats, kicks and snares, sit softly in the background holding tempo and for large parts of the record drops down to a construct of two or three hits as it ebbs and flows into its different degrees of intensity, complimenting the mood and tone of his synths.

What sticks out like a soar thumb but certainly works is its use of rampant, rolling laser zap sounds and other "gimmicky" synthesized noises that are hashed in. The chirps of birds, calls of dolphins and husky whispering electronic waves wash into the music with a firm boldness that add to the atmosphere despite being clunky in nature. Its the underlying melodies that rise up from a repetitive foundation that make the music transformative, giving it sparks. Within the lure of chilled out, indulgent atmospheres, mysterious, new age synth tones played with curiosity, always emerges a lead instrument, sometime two in tandem, to follow and make sense of the scenic sounds.

Its a marvelous listening experience that visits six distinct chapters, of which four was immediately recognizable. It dives straight into a memorable lead melody that was very familiar. I couldn't find any movie soundtracks I suspected I might know it from but it did feature in the GTA IV soundtrack so perhaps that is where the familiarity extends from. All in all its just a fantastic gem of a record that any lover of electronic, retro or ambient music should take the time to check it. Its entrancing, indulging and full of vivid imagination birthed through sound.

Favorite Track: Part IV, Part V

Rating: 8/10

C418 "Excursions" (2018)

German composer Daniel Rosenfeld aka C418 has birthed iconic music and sounds stained into the minds of millions of Minecraft fans worldwide. His unique sound and approach seems an uncanny match for the games engrossing atmosphere, almost to good to be true. Over the years he has released the games soundtracks alongside his own records that mainly dive into the House and Downtempo orientations of Ambient Electronic music, while showing that his flair extends into all degrees of composition hes attempted. With each passing record the wonders are revisited with a degree of expectancy and predictability but always within the allure that his style conjures, resonating and radiating its hypnotic, colorful warmth.

Its not been since my first exposure to his sound that the soothing radiation of warm indulging sounds has been so strong. Even within the realms of familiarity and anticipation, his capability finds an exuberant stride. One hundred minutes of beautifully ambiguous moods and engrossing atmospheres that win me over with a luminosity and vibrancy to these sounds we know all to well. The textures of synth, tones of melody, buzzing baselines, composition traits, the shrink and expansion is all akin to what we love about this artist and its executed wonderfully. One new experiment emerges, the sounds of birds chirping in Cold Summer gives it a wonderfully exotic and mysterious vibe if only for a song or two.

Its hard to dive into details when everything feels so snug and sweet. This is the C418 we know, the songs don't take long to feel like you have known them forever and yet the magic flows forth through a range of songs so typical of him. We have light ambiences led by pianos, quirky ambiguous melodies and banging percussive lines that seem to creep in like the morning sun through blinds. The transitions are sublime, one instance there is barely a beat and moments later the synths have arose, the snap and clap of snare and kick is in full swing. Excursions has flow, zen and sustains its spell for a remarkable length, suspending us in its dimension. Possibly his best.

Favorite Tracks: Cold Summer, Benton, Thunderbird, The President Is Dead

Rating: 9/10

Post Malone "Beerbongs & Bentleys" (2018)

Debuting at number one and going platinum within a week it would seem the success is only growing for the young artist who is yet to win favor with a majority of critics. Beerbongs & Bentleys is Post Malone's Sophomore record clocking in at a bloated sixty four minutes that shows little signs of any measurable evolution from his sound on Stoney. Across these eighteen tracks we have a similar of sequence of Trap influenced Hip Hop beats mixed up in the wish wash of indulgent reverberations and instruments set to maximize the laid back vibes and chilled out tone of Post's music.

The record falls short in its lyrical substance, most tracks are dominated by superficial topics. The gloating and boasting of lifestyle and wealth props up a thin backbone of topics revolving around the glorification of intoxication, petty drama and partying that are so atypical of the youth and who could blame them for it? As an older soul there is little I can relate to other than a reactionary sigh at seeing reflections of a former, younger self. Post does at times find some deep lines in brief glimpses but its mostly buried in the slew of style and catchy slang over substance in lyrics that many of his guest features indulge in too.

Its all so trendy and such are the instrumentals too. The charisma of Post's singing voice, with auto tune or without is a constant pleasure and transformers the mood of these beats into chilled out, laid back places, calming and serine through the chaos of the stuttering hi-hat led beats. The quality varies track to track, Same Bitches with YG sticking out like a sore thumb, its beat clearly by a different producer working on those west coast vibes. A couple of songs like Rockstar with 21 Savage hit the right mark however Post's songwriting sounds rather muted across the record as the trendy beats and self-indulgent lyrics dominate the records tone and posture.

In one moment we get a pure beam of light, the main reason I have my ear on this artist. Stay is a glossy, gleaming song filled with sun soaked acoustic guitar playing, coming on like a daydream as Post's voice soars over blissfully with some beautiful singing and vocal inflections. No Trap beats, no trendy slang and this is where the substance is in this musician. I hope in the future he follows this path more as I believe its where he flourishes I would happily listen to a record of tracks like this for hours on end! Unfortunately Beerbongs & Bentleys is yet to head in that direction.

Favorite Tracks: Rockstar, Stay

Rating: 5/10

Post Malone "Stoney" (2016)

I've only heard of Post Malone thanks to his friendship with the H3H3 duo, somehow missing the massive White Iverson single which has blown up to almost half a billion youtube views. That song alone encapsulates the records atmosphere which is obviously appealing for its mellow, relaxing and chilled out vibes. By using a lot of Hip Hop tropes and simple, stylistic oriented lyrics Malone hasn't been praised by the critical media however his massive success is testament to something unique he possesses that isn't heard elsewhere. Its not to say there is genius at work but clearly there are signs.

Two factors make their mark on this record, firstly Malone's laid back vocals swing between easy paced, straightforward yet slang soaked raps and tuneful R&B singing. Relying heavily on autotune inflections and double tracking, his voice finds a warm, inviting, painless place to operate from that's at many times rather spell binding in his ability to create an unwinding atmosphere to indulge in. Verses flow sweetly as words are stretched to the rhythm, often lyrically lack luster, simple rhymes for instinctive thoughts that occasional spark with a couple of cracking hooks like the chorus on "Congratulations", nothing you'll forget soon but that's no the fate of ninety percent of these words.

The second factor is production, mostly following the tropes of this Trap influenced era of Hip Hop, fast shuffling hi-hats and spacious kicks often dominate the percussive dimension and on some tracks they dive deeper into the disposable with "skrt skrt" shouts and jives. Its not particularly charming but its always smothered by the wash of dreamy synths and the melding of airy reverbs and sweep phasers coming from all angles to form a soft and serine setting that's mostly very persuasive. Its best moments come when the trendy beats are stripped back and other influences take form.

Songs like Go Flex with its acoustic guitar, soft strings, kick clap percussive and Up There with warm pianos and electric guitar licks, stand out as the deeper cuts. With elevated instrumentation not relying on trendy beats shows Malone's voice is a wonderful fit for something more ambitious. I can't rave about this record, it may be sweet, mellow and relaxing as it gets but a large portion of the lyrics are lacking and the instrumental qualities varies a lot. It does however have those moments that give a real sense of promise for Malone considering he wants to pursue his Pop and Country roots over this Hip Hop oriented sound.

Favorite Tracks: I Fall Apart, Go Flex, Congratulations, Up There

Rating: 6/10

Delerium "Semantic Spaces" (1994)

Id not heard of Delerium before receiving this recommendation, however I had heard the Tiesto remix of their famous "Silence" Trance song. I'm also familiar with Front Line Assembly a Canadian Industrial group who flirted with Metal on their most commercially successful venture "Millennium" released the same year. Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber of the band formed this side project in 1987, a year after FLA, and released a prolific seven full lengths before this release, which is one of three in the year of ninety four. Its a lengthy record of steady moving electronic pieces tinging on ambience and encompassing a eastern, worldly cultural influences, very much reflective of the times.

With an arsenal of synthetic instruments the two line the back bone of these songs with layers of smooth flowing electronics, light and short wanderings of shimmering melodies, a few select sections of composition interwoven to form a dense music current that runs the course of these lengthy tracks. They are steady, smooth, calming and conjure a mellow atmosphere that's slightly juxtaposed to the actual level of instrumental activity. Looping percussive samples and bold, plump baselines hold the repetitions firmly in place, gluing the instruments together as they set the stage.

The magic happens in the forefront, this thick spine of instrumentation goes through the motions, expanding, contracting, coming and going with the flow of the music. Its the airy synths, feminine vocals, soft pianos and lead synths that inspire direction and determine the path the songs take. Some distinct cultural sounds come to this stage, eastern flutes and Gregorian chants sung by monks and choirs give the record an ethnic root that contrasts its electronic and modern persona.

With a firmly nineties electronic sound one can hear all sorts of influences from Trip Hop, to Dub, Trance, Downtempo, House and all between. Its a melting pot of that eras sound and it comes together seamlessly. There's little to criticize, the music is inspired and creates quite the setting for thought and indulgence however its not particularly thrilling. The smooth and easy flow often stagnates in places as the songs strength beyond the seven minute mark with not much more than a repeat of a previous segment. I may return to this one again, It feels like the sort of record you could grow to adore if it were in the background of some game, slowly drilling itself deep into your mind.

Favorite Track: Metaphor
Rating: 6/10

Yagya "Stars And Dust" (2016)

Days before the new year arrived the Icelandic producer turned in his sixth full length record much to my excitement as immediately took to bandcamp to get my copy. The second post I wrote on this music blog was "Sleepygirls", which was over two years ago! That and "Rigning" have been my go to records for calm and meditative music with downtempo beats and dub baselines that can sooth and clear the mind. The minimalist album cover, open to interpretation, had me excited in hope for more of this sweet ambience, which is what we got.

Initially I was disappointed, hoping for something deep, dense and dreamy the "lightness" of the record threw me off. However with each listen I realized it was essentially the same style, familiarity with that layer of atmospheric density striped back. The result exposes Yagya's wondrous spacial feel for melodies, both in the form of synth strings drifting to and from focus and the inconsequential notes that cut through the atmosphere with intimidate echos on tracks like "The Observable Universe". The unconventional melody style creates a mesmerizing sense of depth as patterns and tunes allude one in the ever murmuring synths, swirling in the void.

The formula is somewhat unchanged. Deep resonating dub baselines stroll with the easy going downtempo beats and a similar selection of instruments layer colors on top. Mostly electronic synths, a few piano sounds, bells and voices make there way in too. There's a slight swirl of atmospheric noise happening subtly in the background, sometimes dialed up on the occasion track. Its this element, shifted in composition, that has been greatly toned down from previous records.

The change gives light to instruments that feel as equally mysterious and illusive, only providing the calming, soothing tone rather than a direct narrative. However that illumination was not previously absent, the melodies were conveyed within the thick atmosphere. It leaves me wondering if it gained or lost anything in this transition. "Stars And Dust" is more of what Ive come to expect, once again with its own pallet that doesn't do much to progress the sound. A solid record for a mood of calm or focus but nothing more.

Rating: 6/10

Tycho "Epoch" (2016)

Five years since his breakout record "Drive", American, San Fransisco based musician Scott Hansen is back with Tycho's fourth full length record, another semi ambient dive into electronic psychedelia with chilled out downtempo vibes shimmering in the wake of lavish sounds gently soaked in reverbs and echos. Its essentially a carbon copy of "Drive", a slightly less ambitious sound where the oozing reverbs are dialed back for a little less ambiguity. The guitar licks have more prominence and involvement in the forefront of the music. Percussion feels somewhat "live" in some places where tom rolls and shuffling hi hat to snare grooves break away from the underlying electronic thud and snap. It gives balance to tempos that can be fired up by lively percussion without loosing its pace.

Of the nuances that differentiate it, most if not all is clearly an improvement. "Epoch" is a solid record, a masterful execution of Tycho's signature sound but in that comes a hefty amount of predictability. Once accustom to this sound it becomes a painting to frame on a wall, the soundtrack to a mood or vibe your searching for. Where this latest installment does that so well there is a lack of excitement in the unknown, nothing out of the ordinary and for that little reason for it to be fully engaging. It rarely command ones immediate attention at any point.

Predictability aside, its a fine sounding record. In comparison "Drive" sounds a little lost in itself where clarity of the instruments shines bright here. The production is excellent, a crisp sound where everything compliments one another. Deep soothing baselines groan under the ever steady thudding of the kick drum and all sorts of twinkling synthesizers stack up into walls of light as sunny melodies emerge alongside echoing guitars which pluck lightly away. Its a solid record but its short comings are obvious in a lack of adventure from what has already been done before it.

Rating: 6/10

C418 "2 Years Of Failure" (2016)

An initial wave of excitement hit as the release of a new C418 record hit my inbox, upon seeing the records name that quickly faded as "2 Years Of Failure" is obviously a packaging of b-sides, leftovers, tidbits and so called "failures". At an hour run time its a fractured record of experiments, unfinished tracks and alternate takes with a hidden gem at the end. "Stranger Think" is a wonderful remix of the Stranger Things theme song. It adds some density with extra layers of sweeping synth and a deep house percussion to absorb. Id almost prefer it too the original as it only enriches the atmosphere without altering or drifting from the original mood.

The record kicks of with six "90s" tracks dabbling in vibes and styles you might not associate with C418. If it wasn't for some of his distinct techniques and manipulations they could be anyone's songs. A touch jovial and with a touch of VGM chiptune these songs breeze past without purpose or direction despite being colorful, bright and enjoyable little numbers they don't particularly amount to more than the sum of their parts. Then follows "Pizza" a more experimental and unusual track, mixing break beats with Italian folk music that had little chemistry for me. It actually reminded me quite a lot of IGORRR, without the demonic, hellish intensity.

Its followed by a couple of halfway there tracks that lay down a pretty solid foundation for memorable songs but they seemed to have been left incomplete. Then rolls in the alternate takes which are a treat if you know the originals well. Its interesting to hear how changes in the composition don't obscure the bulk of the vibe and mood but let you really appreciate the level of perfectionism that went into the final output.

And that's it really. Unsurprisingly there is little cohesion, not much to get excited about in terms of the songs, however there was at least one thing to take away, the Stranger Things cover. I also very much liked the "185 pre", a favorite C418 song of mine. Not much of a tie over, I will always be very keen to hear whats next from this brilliant musician.

Favorite Tracks: Choice Broken, 185 Pre, Stranger Think

Rating: 4/10

Carbon Based Lifeforms "Interloper" (2010)

Carbon Based Lifeforms, or CBL, are a Swedish ambient music duo from Gothenburg who I was entirely unaware of until a recent recommendation. Sometimes ambient music can be a term for musical approach, performance or philosophy more so than a style or genre. CBL could be different based on your interpretation but what I heard was the cosmic jam of space ambience, the sounds of stars and constellations. This particular waveform of ambience was right on my level and with just one listen I was swept up above the hemisphere, understanding the purpose of this record and the journey it would take me on.

Reminiscent of Tangerine Dream's swirling, unraveling synthesizer drones, CBL takes on an organic form of electronic evolution where the most passive of short melodies can be gloriously engrossing in the subconscious as contracting passageways steadily shrink and expand in turn with easy paced, down tempo beats. Layers of soft electronic sounds decorate the soothing atmospheres with an ever changing design of minimal details to drench the tracks in an authentic depth that can almost go unnoticed. These 6-8 minute compositions are crafted with a care to let the power of an idea sink in deep with just one melody leading the way. There is no climax, or glory but an ever changing state around a single melody that holds together an emotion, idea or whatever it is you find in the music.

For me the visions these soundscape conjured were of futuristic flashing lights swirling in the cosmic abyss, the comforts of a science fiction fantasy realm where technology meets the limits of existence and you are the observer. Fantastic music for driving at night, seeing the stars in the sky and the passing lights of cars, cities and road lights. Its calming, soothing and chilled out and its great to hear it in such a package that lets the seventy one minutes breeze by without a thought. Its my go to ambient record right now.

Favorite Songs: Central Plain, Supersede, Euphoric

Rating: 8/10

Tycho "Dive" (2011)

Turning to something calm, upbeat and electronic I browsed my way to a record that really grabbed me a few years back. Its not a classic, it has its flaws but indulgences us in a unique style of electronic psychedelic and dreamy wet vibes delivered with a touch of accessibility. Tycho, or Scott Hansen, is an American electronic musician who's been actively releasing records under this moniker for over a decade and "Dive", his forth full length record, was the first of his music I heard.

The records style, substance and pallet establish itself immediately as the echoing, vibrato synths warm up into a pleasant and calm atmosphere. The down tempo beat comes in steadily with a hard, thudding kick and light snappy snare that feels as effortless as the breezy atmosphere that's growing. The song winds down a little before kicking back in with faster drums and growing layers of instruments and rich synths. A bold and calculated baseline grooves under airy synths that ooze and drift between the other sounds in an entrancing state. It washes over with an almost ethereal vibe, one that's much brighter and uplifting. At times these synths expand and contract to the beat of the bass drum, reinforcing a strangely organic vibe that creeps through electronic tapestry.

From the opening track alone you get a a vivid picture of what the rest of the record will offer. With such a lush and enigmatic sound Tycho fails to push the initial premise any further and the album can certainly lull if your not quite in the mood. But that's not what this record is about, its a moment of beauty, calm and serine, entrancing and psychedelic that stretches on and on. Although each song is great in its own right the lack of variety or imagination in the melodies has each song feeling like the one before it. The approach is the same each time and little is expanded on from the first track, which I feel could be a love or hate scenario. Maybe you want that one moment to stretch on, or maybe like me you need some spice and theater in a fifty minute record. Its brilliant, but flawed and on a final note I love the album art. Its simple but beautifully painted, and is a perfect fit for the sound inside.

Favorite Songs: A Walk, Dive, Melanine

Rating: 7/10

Dusted "When We Were Young" (2001)

Dusted is an English duo consisting of producers Mark Bates and Rollo Armstrong of Faithless. I was turned onto this, their debut record, by a friend and was originally under the impression this was a soundtrack, due to a movie of the same name. I now know that its unrelated but this record actually played out like a soundtrack with many slow, chilled out, carefully crafted numbers that can shift moods and grow into big moments. It all came together like the setting for a tale to unravel and if anything, is the soundtrack to imagination and the power of music that is of the craft and subtitles this record posses in great quantity.

The opening track here sets a bright and warm tone for a record that in its chilled out nature will invoke good vibes and set a pleasant atmosphere of positivity and relaxation. With a traveling baseline groove and plucked melodic guitar strings the gentle, downtempo drum loops guide us into a warmth of sweeping strings and random electronic noises as the pace thickens like a rising sun, its rays of warm light arriving for the first time. With a memorable start the record it makes no strives to pick up the pace or jump into anything advantagous as it strolls through track after track, delivering chilled out, relaxed numbers that each deliver their own moment in between lush orchestration of layered sounds. Theres plenty of variety beyond the soothing electronics and steady drums, "Time Takes Time" introduces some graceful lead vocals and "Always Remember To Respect Your Mother" builds around stunning youthful choir leads that inspire greatly.

The album shifts gears with "The Biggest Fool In The World" as the tempo perks up with a big clap in the loop for a grooving moment in an otherwise chilled out record. As things progress we dive deeper into the Dusted world, continually exploring new territory with each step before climaxing with a dazzling piano number that ends the record with a lasting impression as the pianos descend into a wall of reverb. Overall its a breezy, carefree ride through chilled out music of craft and design, a concept played out brilliantly that unravels like the soundtrack to your imagination and inspiration.

Favorite Tracks: Childhood, Always Remember To Respect Your Mother, Oh How Sweet, Under The Sun

Rating: 7/10