Old Tower "Portrait Of A Medieval Presence " (2024)

On form, like its impressive predecessor Draconic Synthesis, Old Tower continues in a chilling stride, painting eight unnamed portraits of meditative Dark Ambience. Set in Medieval times, these soundscapes yolk an esoteric mythos from embellished nostalgia of ancient, eerie times. These lonely atmospheres linger on delicate aesthetics, chiming ambiguity with soft instrumentation and scenic sound design. Whispering voices in the distance, unsettled fire crackling, ritualistic chants of worship and mysterious murmurs all lurch within these shadowy slices of lost time.

Mostly subdued and one dimensional upon inspection, the mastery emerges when attention is split. A powerful current of persuasion shapes ones mood as the rhythm of each picture settles in. Portrait V is the most animation, a rattle of perverse church bells call out over the cold countryside. Each eruption of bells is jarring. Portrait I opens the record with a beautifully chilling organ climaxing the short songs conclusion with drama. These moments of instrument augmentation are often a key delight.

Portrait VIII was my favorite. The arrival of percussion pivots the song into a mystical stride, its shimmering synths conjuring the sense of a cryptic presence. It rides these feeling well, as do many songs, establishing an aching ambience with nightly terror and occult suggestion lurking safely at a distance. Another impressive effort, perhaps constrained a little by these notions of Portraits. They feel perfectly suited as soundtrack moments for a horror film or evil themed video game.

 Rating: 6/10

Slowdive "Kisses (Remixes)" (2024)

The highlight of last years Everything Is Alive was undoubtedly Kisses! A warm, dreamy track, serine and blissful in its innocent Shoegazing goodness. This EP stitches on three similar length remixes. Surprisingly, they do a decent job furthering the magic of this song. An opening electronic mix trades in walls of Ethereal noise for classic sine wave pulses, a stripped back rendition adding retro flare to the music.

Daniel Avery's remix drops in a pacey Drumstep loop to energize the temperament with stealthy Liquid Drum & Bass vibes. Additional glazier synths accompany too, replacing vocals for the songs later half. A collaboration with Ambient legends Grouper claims the highlight. Dialing up its rumbling ambiguities and retreating percussion entirely, the music becomes washed up in a haze of reverberating clouds.

Ending with the original composition affirms its excellence. Somehow spinning this over a handful of times doesn't tire such a beautiful song. Totally worth a listen if you vibed with it in any capacity. I would however critique a lack of daring to stride in search of new terrain. These remixes played it safe and straightforward, which works.

Rating: 3/10

Andrew Odd "Visions Of Red" (2017)

Wishing to "scratch the itch" from an artist who's discography is unfortunately light, I've rummaged around the mostly one track singles for Visions Of Red, comprised of three soothing space themed songs. Arcadia is a beautiful "pale blue dot" inspired piece. Leaning into the cosmic perspective, yearning string scale the epic expanse of space in a trance like state. A deep yet soft rumble of bass murmurs below, between them heavenly choral voices subtly emerge to peak the musics blissful tone.

Elysium turns a little esoteric, its fleeting voices steeped in mystery as layers of airy choral synths gradually climb an underlying tension. Piano notes smothered in a dreary reverb eventually arrive to resolve this ambiguous enigma. Tharsis leans Psybient. Embracing upfront melody, pronounced synths exchange, brooding towards a sense of eruption. I always anticipate a harder pivot but when the percussion arrives, its toned down, a distant snare kick groove, with narrow aesthetics.

 

 Visions Of Red delivers on this artists ability to cut past the mediocrity this astral music can often slip into, creating three intriguing songs to fire up the imagination. Fingers crossed for more Andrew Odd in the future, their craft is one with distinction.

Rating: 5/10

Fogweaver "Magelight" (2023)

Working with a typical set of Dungeon Synth keyboard tones, Its clear Fogweaver has mastery of the magic. With no surprises in wait, Magelight charms with its enchanting melodies. Located somewhere at the crossroads of soft esoteric murmurings, mystic natural beauty and joyous adventuring innocence, we arrive as a lonely wandering spirit, set to journey through these soothing sights of wonder, mystique and fantasy.

Amidst a meld of classic synths used by pioneers, familiarity paints itself within a luscious dreamlike production. Deep airy synths and apt reveb casts a mood inducing calmed atmosphere to melt into. Tranquil in spirit, yet cautiously animated, a layering of tuneful instruments and subtleties is delightful to indulge with. Arrangements feel inspired, meaningful, enriched by the visions guiding these artful compositions.

Venturing here after hearing Fogweaver on The Kingdom Is Ours, I found myself immediately persuaded and the magic persisted after numerous spins. Magelight has much to offer, from mystic melodies in scenic settings, to gloomy swells of bewitching fog. Its varying shades conclude with the ambitious Inien, pushing its keys towards noisy terror. A chilling reflection upon the same crashing waves it opened with.

Rating: 7/10

Tineidae & Sole Massif "Remnants Of War" (2024)

 

Although Remnants Of War is themed around the aftermath of AI fulled armageddon, I could not escape its dramatic cover art. Reminiscent of the cult Japanese Cyberpunk flick Tetsuo, I've absorbed this one with metallic body horror in mind. Learning now of its true intention, the cinematic vision locks into place. These desolate soundscapes paint dystopian terror as the unease of soft synths collide with ghostly mechanical buzzes and whirling sparks, echoing on through tainted winds. Worbling electronic voices churn from automated warfare wreckage, a poisoned landscape, terrain now littered with cybernetic corpses. As far as eyes see, an endless sprawl of technological annihilation claims mother nature herself as collateral damage.

Its only tuneful moments stem from brief surges of soulless arpeggio saw-wave cycling. It births intense motion out of lifeless scenery. The tension derived suggests the presence of a surviving robotic killing machine, scanning the area for life, a dangerous prospect for us observers. Otherwise its charm resides in dense atmospheric dark ambience, littered with sound effect design to paint maddening scenarios in the mind of the listener. My favorite moments are the subtle whirls and buzzes, hints of wrecked machines with robotic systems attempting to function. So too, distorted voices add mystery. Seeming like scrambled recordings they possibly hint human life is transmitting from somewhere... or are simply remnants of the war.

Rating: 6/10

Steve Roach, Kevin Braheny & Michael Stearns "Desert Solitaire" (1987)

 

Mesmerized by opening track Flatlands, my morning walks exploring the cliffy sandstone shores of southern Portugal were elevated by its meditative qualities. Fit for the sunny Mediterranean climate, a rhythmic trance of exotic percussion guides us through unforgettable swells of dense soothing tone. Cycling through several stellar synths, blushes of warmth arrive on the heels of the prior rescinding surge. Emotions stir through apt chord selections on occasion too. Its a remarkable track, one I've returned to often, however this time, I was reminded that its appearance on Journeys To The Infinite, which I've covered previously, was a hand picked compilation of works.

I'm sadden to report, Desert Solitaire does not expand its opening majesty. More so, it picks apart its pieces, rearranging them into lengthy stints, sharing those initial aesthetic suggestions. With a theme of solitude in desolate regions, scorn by the heat of our sun in daytime, the record quietly picks through temperaments, moments of grandeur and scenic suggestions all laid bare through competent track titling.

A handful of songs try too cut the mold, Knowledge & Dust deploys an irritating stereo-pan, attempting trippy disorientation. Shiprock shifts its instrumental drone with a shrill cutting synth to usher in eerie nightly sounds. Empty Time returns this high pitched whine to conjure in baron horns and percussion on a lifeless wandering that seems to leads nowhere. These three are also the weaker pieces on the record.

Labyrinth feels completely out of place, a nightly spell of bleak, cloud swept skies converging on imitate dusk. A lurch of conspiracy and lonely unease wrestles with its subtle reliefs of tension that dissipate like waves on a beach. Its a stunning piece of darkly atmosphere but more fitting of a Dungeon Synth record to these ears.

The other remaining songs flesh out the tones heard on Flatlands. Those swells of tone, now elongated into soothing drones to transform your imaginations. Its all to typical of this genre to comment on deeper but a handful of them merit return for conjuring these meditative moods, this time with a warmer climate than usual.

Rating: 6/10

Aaron Cherof, Kumi Tanioka & Lena Raine "Minecraft: Tricky Trials (Original Game Soundtrack)" (2024)

 

As the Minecraft soundtrack series expands, its ability to have an impact on its own identity diminishes too. Three of our post-C418 musicians return for the lengthiest offering yet, delivering familiar tones and temperaments to their collective prior efforts. All new additions are welcome, yet only two tracks land with impact, meriting talking points. One fairly positive, the other dubiously negative. Both are record discs.

Aaron Cherof's contribution's are inline with the smooth sailing of Trails & Tails' breezy charisma. Once again we ride gentle currents, as lush instrumentation swells from lulls like subtle gusts of wind amassing from stillness. Featherfall's endearing bedtime warmth comes birthed from inconsequential melodies, gently rising into a nocturnal cradle-song illuminated by shimmering bells. Clearly the favorite of his for me.

Kumi Tanioka treads her line too, offering chilly, atmosphere minimalism through lonely piano pieces that unite with gentle murmuring synths. They carry an airy bass presence, enriching what little came before into an emotive ambiguity with a lack of boldness to latch onto. As such they pass by without keen distinction, fit for the games background but feeling quite inconsequential as melodies land without memorability.

Lena's bag is varied. Deeper throws back to the lurching menace of the Nether. Its distorted synth melody lurches between threatening percussive rattles and illusive melodies, rotating around its tense atmospheric swell. Eld Unkown swings from mystique to drama as its pacy baseline musters a sense of urgency. Endless dulls in its own aimless duration. A stiff, nostalgic dusty piano piece, plays into itself as meandering through the cobwebs of a sullen, empty, former home yield little. Its almost good but clearly lacking a sense of gratification from its own empty oddness.

The music disc Creator is a bop. Bolder and bruising with an ensemble of classic, non electronic instruments, Lena forges cheeky melodies with a splash of Rock and foreign piazzas that is hard to deny. Lively and jiving, its perhaps not "minecrafty" but the Music Box counterpart version shapes its main melody into that blocky frame.

Precipice is also a bop. Feels like Mojang were after two lively animated songs to amp up the variety in record discs. This one however felt too little overproduced, a heavy assemble of noisy instruments bordering on the electricity Ive heard in modern Progressive Metal bands like Plini and Sithu Aye. A wildly colorful and adventurous song but lacking the guile and identity to tie it back to Minecraft in a meaningful way.

With artists now making second and third contributions, the games vast music could be accused of becoming bloated. The soundtrack doesn't hone in on something new and distinct to offer the game like the Nether Update soundtrack did. Its an extension of prior compositions which has been enjoyable yet doesn't say much about the Tricky Trials and interestingly none of the music plays specifically for the Trials Chambers, perhaps a missed opportunity for some Minecraft battle music, all tho goes completely against the philosophy of its incidental, disassociated sound design to being with.

Rating: 6/10

Applefish "Luminous" (2023)

 

This third of three leaves me with less to remark but Applefish has caught my attention and made it onto my coveted Temporal Focus playlist. Luminous is a lighter companion, less suggestive of its theme despite the track titling signaling intent. Lofty ruminations suspend animation and linger within a sparkling display of apt synths and familiar ambiguities. Each song is a flavor of calm, occasionally drifting into serenity.

 A couple of tracks offer some curiosity and mystique but nothing dramatic. The opening Star Trails is my favorite, taking the slow elongated swell of these synth arrangements and gracing them with a looping melody that drags the soundscape reluctantly over a powerful yet subtly delivered chord arrangement. This level of craft seemed lacking elsewhere but each song works with a different energy.

Rating: 5/10

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

Applefish "Pale Blue Dot" (2023)

Another champion of Spotify's algorithm, Applefish's astronautical perspective immediately captivated my attention. One for my Temporal Focus playlist, these reflective droning ambiences contrast shimmering Ethereal tones with earthly sounds. From footsteps dragged across a beach, to trickling water or the chirping of birds, most these songs pair natural scenic impressions within suspended swells of lofty ambiguous synths that cast a memorizing calmness from even its tense outings.

 

The aura is impeccable, soft bass rumbles and airy voices drift through its drifting formless presence. Melody is absent, notes arise, groan and sink, yawning on temporal stretches. From dramatic to soothing, these captivating swells all conjure emotions fit for the overview effect its title suggests. Only its final track Return To The Tribute induces a cycling electronic melodic tune, which beaks the magical balance as it sees the record out. Pale Blue Dot has a powerful introspective spell to fall under.

Rating: 7/10

Darkspace "-II" (2024)

 

Surprise evaporates into disappointment. After a decade long hiatus, Darkspace mysteriously re-emerge from the void armed with negative two, a singular forty seven minute epic that adds little to their repitour. With a particular breed of cosmic Black Metal, this trio forge dense, unforgiving walls of bleak sound. A droning masquerade of astral oddities channeled through unsettling grimace. Condensed guitars thrum and whir in discontent, bleed with subtle stellar synths to brood an aesthetic mesmerizing an eerie embrace of the vast measureless void. From endless shadows, beastly groans and guttural howls malign themselves with steely tremolo plucked melodies, descending with a sinister stance. Powered on by shuddering, thudding sub kicks, the music groans, burdened by its union with the abandon of an infinite nothing.

The track is suited to ambient appreciations of its darkly flavor, maneuvering between mellowed lurches and impending brevity in bleak lengthy passages. The album feels like three distinct sections with intentional retreats from its darkest plunges. Despite this, the crawling pace didn't birth a sense of reaching anything climatic or conclusive. It simply arises, then sinks back into the black. Not to suggest the ride was sluggish, more of a suspended astonishment that never arrives. I recall being enthralled by their prior effort III I. After ten years hoping a return might one day occur, this record felt as if no time had passed at all, a very familiar sound reignited without a sniff of evolution.

Rating: 6/10

Laurel Halo "Atlas" (2023)

 

Introduced via the Spotify algorithm, a lone track among its ten, You Burn Me, bared resemblance to one of my all time favorites, The Plateaux Of Mirror. Its dreamy pianos pulled me in but sadly the focus of Atlas is not akin to that timeless soothing tranquility. It does however, deal with subconscious narratives. Ambiguity and lofty reverberations house flickers of traditional instrumentation as these gentle mirages embark on temporal musical experiences that eludes a listeners focus in the present.

To my ears, Its early tracks house glimmers of city life. Dense, compounding echos create soft cushions of vague emotional states. Subtly twisted, warped and stretched, these dreary forms of pianos, pads and strings float out of its hazy mist. Somewhere in that gentle flood I hear the sounds of people, perhaps the droning sensation somehow resembling the ever-present background decibels of a city. This notion fades swiftly as its latter half resembles emotional states more often than not.

This leads me to the downside of this record. Many of these cloudy clusters of ambiguity steered into uncomfortable anxiety. Tension is a key component of these arrangements. A few flavors brewed unrest and disquiet through the powerful effects of Ambient music. Where I often welcome challenging sounds as emotional entertainment, a handful of songs placed me in that soft distress which equally sings praises to its power but derived my enjoyment the full length record experience.

Rating: 6/10

André 3000 "New Blue Sun" (2023)

 

A name that would forever manifest anticipation, the talents of André 3000 held promise, surely a musical gem in waiting? Many years on from his legendary career as the artistic half of Outkast, his return to music is a subtle one, venturing into mellow New-Age ambiences. His voice comes not through rap but woodwind as Andre expresses himself with flute performances that meander on free flowing journeys.

Clocking in at a meaty ninety minutes, these eight stints average over ten minutes in length but all share a common breezy ambiguity. Blurry forms, warm and resonate, yet illusive, express wonders lacking comprehension. A swaying mix of environmental sounds and flashes of dazzling melody, nothing concrete is ever anchored to. Instead we drift across moody landscapes in perpetual limbo, at the mercy of this whim.

Its hazy, fever dream nature and free forming spirit makes these songs hard to latch upon. On the journey, many moments of textural beauty and fleeting chemistries arise but they dissolve into the ambience. Each track boils down to that flavor, if you want its company for however long it endures. The two lengthiest cuts didn't do it for me but the rest served a peaceful, captivating New-Age experience, reveling in their own mystique. Its far flung from the rap record everyone wanted but why not? Clearly Andree had a different expression within him and its worth checking out.

Rating: 6/10

S1gns Of L1fe "The Age Of Cymatics" (2021)

 

This entry serves has a marker of discovery, a favored familiar frontier, voyaged by an artist exploring that magical space between distant stars and our imaginations. Cosmic Ambience, as I've come to call it, the space inspired synth style mastered by Dreamstate Logic, which became an obsession last year. Spotify's algorithms has finally steered me on to neighboring territory. Signs Of Life, presumably using the 1s to distinguish the name, provides a welcome hour of lengthy tracks stiring temporal focus, through dense stellar atmospheres that calm and sooth in their droning.

To deter from my usual astral analogies, I'll get direct. Signs has an approach of intention. Its strengths emanate from visible synths arranged with character and purpose. Bustling on looping melodies, alongside sparse glitched percussion, little feels hidden. The craft doesn't linger in reverberations but strides inline with its projections. Although there is an apt amount of spacious echos for its aesthetic, the spacey mood is thrust forth by bold instruments resonating with one another. Airy pads and lofty synths are present throughout but serve more so as a glue.

I also suspect the VSTs behind this sound are similar, with some bass lines and other tones having an uncanny resemblance. Signs also loves the swells of reverb that shift the music into new phases. One can feelsa greater sense of progression and direction changing on these tranquil cosmic voyages. I'm pleased to have discovered more of this niche to add to my collection, its fantastic music for getting in the zone. This too joins the Temporal Focus playlist. Still searching for more!

Rating: 7/10

Old Tower "Draconic Synthesis" (2023)

Esoteric, arcane and obscure, Draconic Synthesis engulfs us on a mystic venture the marvels of sound design. Tinkering and experimentation has led to fruitful explorations of ambiguous wonder, found in gaps between occult voicings, astral synths and ghostly reverberations. This new terrain still stems from foundations of old castly Dungeon Synth, Old Tower continues an intriguing evolution into dark ambience and soundscapes, while fluctuating to familiar footings on this entrancing forty minutes.

Heard through a candles flickering flame, wildlife sounds of night accompany a subtle tropical flavor on its lingering melody. A dusky opener signaling new sounds, Draconis Arcanum has beautiful balance. One could imagine it as the backdrop to a Diablo theme alike game. Ruins and Horned Glossolia ressurects this direction with its lonely steel acoustic guitar, followed then by Sacred Carvings. This song leans fully into this cultural resonance superbly, akin to Dead Can Dance's transformative magic.

Spirit Vessel has a similar incarnation, evoking forbidden spirits from the graves with classic dungeon dweller magics. Its a more "traditional" piece for this artists however the closing Crafting The Symmetry Of Aeons feels like their most ambitious work to date. With many distant clanks, rattles, drips and drops, ghostly voices breeze by forgotten corridors as the music strides into foreboding chambers of sequestered darkness. The emerging synths and percussion give one a sense of tainted triumph over what lingered before its arrival. The strike of a gong bringing it to a sudden close.

Rating: 8/10

Marconi Union "Weightless" (2012)

 

Discovered through a scientific podcast about the effects of music on our psychology and physiology, Weightless has been studied to learn of its calming effect on listeners. This was no mystery to me, as someone who suffers with anxiety at times, I learned long ago the powerful magic of ease Ambient music can bestow upon its recipient. Unlike my typical plunges into random areas of this genre, British duo Marconi Union's approach fits snugly into a relaxing yet artful region of Ambient I adore.

Lengthy stints drift drearily through ambiguous atmospheres, the jaws of danger remaining inanimate. A soothing stillness passes its balmy brood, sheltered from rainy weathers subdued. Melodies linger in limbo, sluggish slumps of tempo mask meaning and purpose. Tensions are tranquil, suspense soothing and apprehensions amiss.

 Weightless' tonality and textures holds many unknown mysteries that could easily be manipulated into darkly stressful taunts. Unease and suspense sit central to its blueprint yet the ambiguous design is played perfectly. Disconnected, un-anchored melodies strip out all identity and meaning. The remaining impressions have no tilt, you will find nothing happy, upbeat or joyous at play among its six parts.

Its lack of emotion is perhaps why Weightless is so soothing, a removal of drama and noise from ones mind as we indulge at restful tempos. Cuts two and five elevate slightly with soft percussion, the later including soft Downtempo like bass, reminiscent of Yagya. Its all wonderfully orchestrated, the endless dawning of its airy synths grasping one in its moment. Instant classic, one for the Temporal Focus playlist.

Rating: 9/10

Slowdive "Everything Is Alive" (2023)

With an Ethereal haze of gristly guitar distortions casting adoring shadows across humble origins, Shanty sets a shimmering Shoegazing tone, justifying the six year wait since the return of Slowdive. What follows doesn't delve deeper but strips apart the opening ideas. The smothering meld of soft electronic melodies, contrasting lush acoustic guitars and dreamy voices housed within its dense aesthetic are explored from different angles. The following songs explore crevasse of this sleepy haze, drifting through its mellow moods gracefully with thoughtful craft and intent.

 The upbeat rhythms were a driving force for satisfaction. Subdued percussion lent a soft sullen glow lurching behind its shimmering exteriors. Alife but more so Kisses benefited from the drive of kick snare grooves, giving pace and direction to its indulgent aesthetic reverberations. It was in these moments that the music animated into life, yielding one to its magic. Otherwise, its slightly broodish temperament leaned to beautiful shades of sadness that lacked a commanding grip on ones attention.

Chained To A Cloud was an odd song, its sorrowful looping melody mesmerizing, pulling one through a gentle gloom inescapable of sorrows. I would have once adored such a downer. Its likely my appreciation for the composition reflects my distance to darker cuts these days. I used to revel in such moody music but with age it feels more burdensome than relatable. For me, this record steered into subtly sombre places I didn't connect with despite it being such a wonderfully curated aesthetic treat.

Rating: 6/10

Annihilation Of Self "First Orbit" (2021)

 

In search of more meditative astral ambiences, Annihilation Of Self caught my ear with an eerie, uncanny familiarity. The culprit? Song two, Condensate, one of Spotify's algorithmically inserted tracks. It had weaved itself into the unconscious musical map. A curious encounter with this new venture into unintentional listening behaviors. Either way, the full album merited a go, yet didn't yield quite the magic I was hoping for.

First Orbit checks all the spacey boxes. Airy, atmosphere dawning synths and a whirling array of buzz saw VSTs are present. They build a dark, technologically inhabited environment, on cosmic scales. A dynamic flow of intensities weaves the glittering melodies of stars between harsher tones of endless void. Its scales against itself, keeping moderate tempos and ushering a songs feel through many apt shifts.

Its darker moments felt more captivating. The buzzing oscillations brooded a tense yet distant distress. Brighter melodies and upbeat motifs felt off in comparison. One notable balance between the two sung personal inspirations. Emma weaves in a bright yet mournful piano melody to ascend the stars with a beautiful sorrow. It seemed deeply personal to me, perhaps the name hinting at a story behind the tune.

Despite a plentiful amount of listens, I've found myself lukewarm on the record yet writing up a "review" of my experience has highlighted its merits with greater intensity. The issue feels like a lack of distinct melodies or moments to cling too, yet the overall tone has the spacey drifting feel I adore. Perhaps I needed more time with it. First Orbit has been placed on my "temporal focus" playlist. Maybe it will grow on me.

Rating: 6/10

Carbon Based Lifeforms "Seeker" (2023)

 

 Thirteen years on from Interloper, now a classic in my collection, I wanted to hear if Seeker retains the infectious charm this breed of spacey downtempo ambient offers. With many consecutive spins, the dazzling repetition of whirling melancholic melodies did not meld to an intensity felt once before. Perhaps the familiarity dulled its impact. Seeker is loaded with wondrous music to inspire awe and astonishment, its astral evoking leading many compositions on a similar trajectory. Humble beginnings gradually bloom into emotional swells contemplating our mysterious universe and the roll we take within in. Far from existential, these emotive arrangements arouse a glorious curiosity, sparking the imagination on a galactic perspective whilst also reflecting inwards, as such incomprehensible scales often stir introspection.

Its aesthetic design and arrangement of electronic instruments is a web of details and intricacies one can get lost in. Timely reverberations and lofty tonalities feed into the themes tapestry. Human voices weave in on rare occasions, often with breathy wordless interpretations and an occasional hint of lyrics. The driving forces are its emergent key melodies and swells of percussion that amass intensity as peaks are summited in a songs climactic pass. Much of this could be applied to previous records yet despite similarity and familiarity birthed from my many spins, Seeker didn't resonate on that deeper level. Its a high bar to reach for and shouldn't deter from the soothing spiritual moods the music stirs. Definitely one for the Temporal Focus playlist!

Rating: 7/10

Fever Ray "Radical Romantics" (2023)

 

Either searching for the timeless nightly spell of Fever Ray, or listening with open ears for a new avenue, bar a few flashes of light, Radical Romantics plays like a reassembly of proven ideals. Lacking a distinctive spark, the music resemble the past, lacking a fresh feverish persuasion. On one hand I adore the blueprint, Karin Dreijer's unique, slightly quirky but madly primal voice, a transient experience among its oddity arrangements. Zany melodies, mysterious synth aesthetics and disjointed percussion converge on their frictions, birthing an atmosphere only this artist lays claim too.

That once mezmorizing soothing ethereal charm seems absent. In the lulls and quells, an atmosphere lurches distant and peculiar. An out of focus form in abstract forms. Karin's voice is often the unifying element, gluing the instrumental strangeness together with direction and expression. With its elements often on the minimal side, those moments between a human voice often feel lacking, as if awaiting her presence.

Kandy catches my ear with its tropical steel drums intersecting the peculiar nature with a beachy sunny warmth. Its the following Even It Out that excels. A tense bass synth and thumping kick drum creates the drive for warbling synths and her agitated repetitions to swell above. The breezy "woo-hoo"s a wild contrasting tension relief. So gratifying. Sadly the rest of the record lacks a spice to elevate beyond the expectant. A really enjoyable album for this fan but I felt it missed a mark so within its grasp.

Rating: 6/10