Author: Karl Magi

Debut Synth Album by Astoria Legend

Posted on by Karl Magi

Initial Impressions

Astoria Legend’s self-titled album is bursting with glowing light, aching with melancholy nostalgia but still exuberant, full of life,/wp and touched by an irrepressible sense of hope. There are elements of synth pop integrated with synthwave, tinged by other influences to create a cohesive musical whole that I find quite engaging for my ears.

The first element to mention on this album is the excellent vocal work. The lead singer has a voice that can whisper or soar, caress or emote strongly. He has a quality of earnestness and passion that comes pouring out and suffuses the whole album with expression and sincerity.

Another strong part of Astoria Legend’s album is the lyrical content. The lyrics are full of intense imagery and pure emotional expression, and each song unfolds its own unique story. I get the sense that the words mattered as much as the music, so I am glad that this album can showcase them.

The way that Astoria Legend integrates the musical elements of the track has been well done. There are rich melodies that often contrast wistful emotions with hopeful, positive sensations. Those melodies are carried on synths that can leap and flash or caress with delicacy, while solid drums drive on and the music brims with emotion and surges with energy.

Track-by-Track Analysis

“Astoria Legend”

“Astoria Legend” sweeps into existence on a rising breath of wind while sparkling synth glows through it. Full, rich chords add support to the other musical elements. I enjoy the swell of choral sound that fills the sonic spaces of the track.

There’s something passionate about the vocal sounds as they soar over the high, glittering chimes and the weight of bass below. Clouds of synth sound swell and grow before slowly fading away again.

“The Door”

Solid, shifting bass leaps into “The Door” to start it off before the softness and emotional expression of the lead singer’s voice carries a gentle vocal melody over the unique, bursting drums. The chorus rises in a bright arc over the sunlight of flashing synth and the exuberant beat.

I am drawn to the impassioned guitar that whirls out in shimmering lines while the beat explodes forward again. Ripples of shiny sound are accented by a hollow, metallic series of notes. Trumpeting bursts of positive feeling synth cry out while the massive drums burst forward and the chorus rises above it all.

A new relationship can be like a portal to a new dimension of experiences and emotions. The lyrics of this song convey the feeling of a transformational connection. Our narrator begins as he is “uncovering the door” that he’s been chasing. He muses about whether he is reaching “in or outward” and asks, “Can you see yourself in my reflection?”

The chorus talks about how they’ll break the rules with ”spacetime in motion.” He promises that “tonight you can’t imagine, discover the word in absolute.” He says that she’ll experience magic “unfolding into action.”

Now he talks about how he’ll be waiting “another day alone” and he’ll listen for something calling to him. There’s a sense of despair as he talks of “seeing the dark in our dimension, the light burnt out.”

He extends an invitation to travel to “a world out of this world tonight” where they’ll ride “pure emotion” and paint ecstasy. I especially enjoy the image of “neon bleeding from the trees” while a vivid illustration is created.

“Hailey”

“Hailey” comes to life as rising, flowing synth chords are joined by a steady bass pulse. A full, round synth with a brassy glow carries a gently shadowed melody. I am a big fan of the lead singer’s expressive, caressing vocals as they move over the flashes of shining synth and the drum throb shapes the music.

The chorus is full of dreamy, wistful emotions while the bass and drum pulse easily propel the track forward. Glistening skeins of elevated synth weave in between the words, the deep bass heartbeat and the solid drums.

The yearning feeling in the vocals is now joined by dancing, whirling, medium high arpeggios before the track breaks into a half time pulse. Twinkling lines of synth shimmer through before the vocals rise in a powerful tide of expression.

The narrator talks about laying “on the moon one last time” because with “foresight we’d be livin’, counting on a wish to survive.” Even as the words leave his lips, he sees that “she’s getting closer, blaze illuminating, devouring.” He adds that “she’s taking over.”

There’s a sense of pleading I the lines, “Hailey bring me back to Earth. Coming down we seek forgiveness” as we’ve forgotten “our place among the stars.” He talks of her “shattering heat…burning bluer than her eyes in summer.” I also enjoy the imagery of her exploding into the ocean through a canopy of trees to create a “raging tidal wave’ that will wash everything away.

After all of this destruction, there will be a return of new life that will erase all the toxic elements. Hailey will leave “scars of gratitude” as she creates “what’s intended for.” The song ends as he begs her to “bring me back to Earth.”

“Surrender”

There’s an eruption of dynamic motion as “Surrender” comes to life. A bouncing line of synth volleys as smooth, warm synths fly into the track along with the emotive vocals. The weighty drums add propulsion and the bass supports the energetic, passionate vocal melody.

A compelling mixture of hope, anticipation and love fills the vocals and the drums explode forward again. The chorus cries out and rises in glittering clouds and the relentless beat pushes on. A segment in which shimmering synths drift in ethereal waves gives way to the song’s dynamic energy. Before the track ends, there’s a drift into sparkling chimes and flowing air before the chorus launches over the heartbeat of drums.

A feeling of escape and a sense of boundaries pushed fills the lyrics of this song. As we begin, a sense of danger and collapse touches the song with images of a loaded gun and a basket-case. The narrator says, “We’re on the run. Who could’ve known what’s right or wrong?”

He insists that “this one exception can’t be fatal to manage” but they soon realize that their cover has been blown and it’s a “blinding light, we should have known.” As everything falls apart, he adds that “the rain won’t even make a sound.”

The narrator promises “when she’s running, on fire, I’ll take the heat.” He talks of a spotlight burning through him and speaks of being “so fragile and desperate.” Now he asks, “Is this our surrender?” as he adds, “they’re calling for our surrender.”

A sense of defiance echoes through the line, “She said it’s time. Tear down the walls and we’ll be fine.” She adds, “Let’s not mistake adventure for romantics.” Now the narrator talks about raising a flag as “they’re taking aim” while the everything “crashes down” they are fighting to hold steady.


Now the “fires burn and burn out” as whispers call that it’s time to go. As the narrator is “wrapped in her arms, the undertow pulling me in” there’s an inner voice that speaks. It talks about “a world that’s even closer than we imagined” and ends with the line, “it’s just us two forever. Still I’m here with you.”

“The Weekend”

“The Weekend” opens with lush, slowly evolving synth chords and a charging beat. The vocals exude upbeat energy while rapid arpeggios glimmer over the drive of the drums. I am drawn to the earnest expression of the vocalist on this song.

Medium-low synth pulses cascade while the drums push the song ahead. There’s a mixture of summery hope and darker shadings of times that won’t come again in this song. Chiming stars of synth glitter and the vocal melody softly caresses the ears before the drums leap into action.

There’s a feeling of warmth shot through with loss in this song. The narrator talks bout how they’re on a “soiree, craving the taste of sugar” and they’re getting all dressed up. The narrator asks, “Will you promise me we’re going to lose our way?” since it is their getaway. I enjoy the imagery in the line, “a summer fading into the city breeze” as the narrator speaks of uncovering treasure underneath “every corner.”

The chorus is a soaring tribute to a road trip in which they “hit the back roads, to the highway with the throttle up.” He talks about how they’ll embrace “the bright lights…until the weekend ends.”

Power and speed are well reflected in the line “we’re breathing the redline” as he talks about jumping off and blacking out the morning. He says, “We really need the sunrise to keep us alive” and says he can feel the wind swirling around adding, “It’s such a pleasure to see.”

Their need to escape is strong otherwise they’ll “strip the city of the glamor, the allure” and lose “the power just to pretend.”

“Keep Running”

Delicately sparkling synth floats across the open soundscape of “Keep Running” as the drums leap in underneath the shining chimes and a deeper synth that doubles them. I enjoy the way the glistening synth melody moves with the dancing vocal melody. The song drifts into a gentle section in which light-filled synths glow and the beat keeps pushing forward.

The synths have a metallic shimmer to them as the melody arcs and skips over the drums.A segment with flowing air, and the cascading, massive feeling drums as a more delicate section quickly leaps back into the chorus and the drums propel the track while the warm, positive melody buoys up the song.

I am drawn to the nautical imagery and the sense of trying to break free in the lyrics of the song. As we begin, we see the song’s subject “sailing into the night, splitting faces to decide if he’s still alive.” The sense of asserting oneself is expressed in the line, “It doesn’t matter if there’s room, he shouted out, I’m making my own.”

There’s strong imagery created in the line, “Push it down until the moon calls, howling out.” He speaks of the tide breaking to bring him home, but he doesn’t want to return. The sense of his footsteps being dogged is well-expressed in the line, “Shadows following at midnight follow closely ’til morn or I’ll slip away” still he keeps on “running away from you.”

Now he’ll make the cliffs as “the clouds align, flash of a silhouette.” There’s something raw and elemental in the verse, “Feel the slack, the line. The swell will eat you alive.” The feeling of pressing on regardless comes through as he talks about the roof being shattered and the rain coming in, but still he’s going to “push it up until the flood comes rushing out.”

He talks about how he’s hiding in the light and “holding on to what remains.” He is called but “still I keep running away from you” as there’s a “sinking surround” and a reckoning while he’s running out.

“Evolve”

“Evolve” opens with fragile, airy piano lightly brushing into the music as the track begins to crescendo before the throbbing, solid drums move with the glinting synths. The vocal melody is full of gentleness and ease while indistinct voices murmur in the background.

Arpeggiating patterns of notes are carried on a full, sunny synth and the beat adds a bounce to the song. The vocals yearn and rise, full of power and expression while the increasing energy of the music reaches ever higher. There is light pouring out of every musical element in this song.

A palpable sense of deep love and fear of losing it fills the lyrics of this song. One of the two characters n the song shows outward calm but he’s “beating on the in.” The other is “clutching at her arms, she seems unsure” while they draw closer.


The chorus asks, “How could I live without your love?” and adds “all that I have can’t be enough.” The song expresses it in terms of a dance. The question of living without the other person’s love is posed again and worry fills the line, “It’s been a lifetime. Shadows in the sunset they’ve grown.”

There’s wonderful imagery in the lines, “She’s wild as ever, skipping through the flame grass” and in the idea that she breathes for him. With the closure, “come closer” in life and emotion. The narrator speaks of “love driving us out of the dark” as they wait for “the first to come enlighten you.”

The song ends on the idea of “a love so pure it pierces through, tailored to you.”

“It’s Our Time, Down Here”

Slightly shadowed chords move with a very high, shimmering chime that ever so delicately brushes the music to start “It’s Our Time, Down Here.” Waves of lower sound move under the bell-like synths that move with melodic grace over the thumping kick drum pulse. The drums come in with full power and the caressing vocals call out.

An elevated synth carries a hopeful melody that doubles the vocal melody. I enjoy the earnest, emotive vocals that are full of honesty. Synths flicker like shafts of sunlight and the vocals soar over the drum and bass pulse. There’s an intricate guitar solo that trips lightly over the notes, cartwheeling and crying out with passion over the beat’s pulse.

Nostalgia is often a complex mixture of emotions that are examined well in this song’s lyrics. There’s a feeling of unreality as the narrator talks about how, “I first saw it in a movie, she’s stretched out in front of me, spinning under the sunset.”

He talks about how it was easy the last time and adds “take in the ocean breeze, I could never forget that.” The good days are “calling my name and lately I can’t find myself” he says. There are flashbacks that might drive him “crazy dreaming of the days we tried to outrun the sunset.”

Memories of the excitement of taking “the long way with the top down” as they were chased around the lake shore by the police” make him want to return to those days. I especially enjoy the image in the words, “a hot pink Lamborghini pressed on a white t-shirt, I could never forget that” and again he aches to return to those times.

Conclusion

Astoria Legend’s debut album comes on strong with emotive vocals, explosive energy and a rich sonic palette that allows for lush synth sounds to give full expression to the earnest passion that fills each part of it.

Karl Magi

Synth-driven love on Disco Men From Mars’ new album ‘Invasion’

Posted on by Karl Magi

Initial Impressions

Disco Men From Mars’ Invasion is a tribute to all of the richness and complexity of synth-based music. It combines a fascinating profusion of different synth sounds with a wide variety of stylistic influences to create lush, textured music. There is also strong melodic writing and a sense of fun added to the mix on the album.

Let’s talk about those synth sounds. Disco Men From Mars explore the full range of timbres, tones, and emotions that can be extracted from synthesizers on Invasion. They interlock high glittering sparkles, saw-toothed growling, and lambent warmth in a sonic tapestry that is rich but doesn’t create complexity for complexity’s sake. Each synth is clear and distinct, but together they produce a coherent whole.

I enjoy the way in which Invasion travels from cool jazz to chiptune and from a reggae groove to the pumping beat of disco. There’s an enjoyable cocktail of different genres that are joyfully mixed to produce an engaging and fun musical journey on which Disco Men From Mars takes the listener’s ears. When the samples from various movies and other sources are added in, they only add to the playful nature of the album.

The melodic writing on display by Disco Men From Mars is engaging. They are able to craft melodies that are catchy without being overbearing. The melodies on this album also have two qualities which I especially enjoy. The first quality is a timeless feeling that makes some of the melodies seem as if they might have existed forever. The second quality is the way in which they combine melancholy and more positive feelings in one tidy package.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Invasion” starts off with a deep, hollow rush of air flowing through the track and a rattling twist of sound. A burst of dark bass rumble is joined by a well-chosen vocal sample from Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds.”

A line of high piano notes glitters over a well of rising, deep sound and now a dark pulse of constant bass throbs out over the open space around it and a high, chiming sound briefly touches before a shadowed, tense sweep of medium-low synth cuts over the constant bass pulse and the big drums.

Descending bass chords rise and fall over driving, massive drums to open “Midnight Surfer” and a jazz-inflected melody carried on an organ. High, bright, nasal synth carries the groovy melody that whirls and dances up above that big beat, spinning and cascading. A disco beat moves under raised, glockenspiel-like notes while full synth carries a drifting melody that is touched by warm haze.

I find the glow of the melody quite compelling on this track. A hard-hitting, gritty bass pulse contrasts with an ultra high synth carrying a melodic pattern, crying out over the strong disco beat. There’s an ear-grabbing hollow drum sound that moves under a glowing, tightly dancing high line of synth that slides over the beat’s pulse while full, shimmering notes sparkle over the drums and into silence.

“Voulez-Vous Danser Avec Moi?” comes to life with a slow, low, oscillating bass pulse below the steady drums and medium-low, hollow synth swirls over the beat’s steady throb. The pipe-like synth carries a shifting pattern of notes while long sweeps of sound grow in a circular motion. I enjoy the mixture of aching emotion and energy in the melody of this track. The active bass line climbs and falls as glimmering synth drifts in starry clouds over it.

A series of warm, full synth chords blossoms in delicate sound over the throbbing beat. Unique percussion breaks into the track before the intertwined hope and melancholy of the lead melody comes in again. The ear teasing percussion sounds move with another vocal sample and the hollow oscillation of synth. A computerized, angular-sounding synth repeats a bouncing melodic pattern and then silence.

Oscillating waves of rough-edged low synth throb into the music to kick off “Interstellar Overpass.” The drumbeat hits hard below a warm, nasal synth carrying shifting chords below a higher, more crystalline synth playing a melodic pattern. The nasal, whirling lead synth melody soars triumphantly but is leavened with a little melancholy.

I am drawn to the extremely high secondary melody as it reaches for the stars, glistening high over the drums. Ultra-high synth cries out before the lead melody calls majestically over the steady insistence of the beat. A steady percussive pattern throbs out before the dark, distorted voice of the lead synth sings a more shadowed, lost feeling melody.

“Detour Alley” comes into being with a metallic, uneven pulse that’s joined by reverberating chimes that move delicately as the beat softly taps below them. Quick, nasal-sounding arpeggio move with a glow behind a pipe-like, wandering lead synth. There’s an ancient feeling to the mode of the main melody, something that transcends modernity to speak to more primal emotions which I quite enjoy.

Piano notes move over a throbbing beat that is now joined by 8-bit sounds that carry a roaming melody over the insistent bass pulse. The melody sings out, speaking of journeys and adventures, its voice reminiscent of a Japanese roleplaying game score. Quick arpeggios move over the throbbing beat and a line of rising and abruptly dropping synth.

Glistening chimes sparkle over deep, reverberating blocks of synth sound to open “DJ Hal 9000 Beach Blanket Bebop” before dynamic beat throbs below a distorted, full synth carrying the lead melody. There’s a sensation of progress and hope that radiates from the main melody as a buzzing synth adds support, while the drums pulsate and the bass adds weight to the music. Appropriately this track uses samples from “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

I am drawn to the segment of this track that launches into a full-blown reggae jam. It adds an element of fun to the music that I find so enjoyable. The “A” section launches into life again as the steady, energizing beat throbs under it. There’s another reggae breakdown followed by a drum fill, after which rapid arpeggios tremble over battering drums. One more dose of sunny reggae vibes comes in before the track fades out.

“Downtown Dystopia, 3 AM” comes into being with harsh, buzzing synth and massive, militaristic drums thundering below piano-based jazz chords. A sawtoothed, elevated synth contrasts with the smooth flow of the cool, easy-going piano notes as the steady bass pulse moves below. It’s a contrast that I enjoy a great deal. The beat has an easy-flowing throb to it as the jazz piano writhes and slides over top it.

The oscillating, shadowy pulse is pierced by technological noises and a wash of piano notes that dance through over it. A driving bass pulse and computerized lead synth come in carrying a wandering melody that bends and wriggles over the pulsating bass, making a twisty and establishing a hypnotic pattern of notes over that beat. The notes slowly and then more rapidly cascade, the brittle brightness of the computer like sound descending into space in which massive drums batter before fading

The unique sound of a Moog synth playing chords that flow out in floating waves starts off “Moog Sunset.” The lead melody arcs out, wandering and twisting, shivering through the track with a dreamy, warm voice that I quite enjoy. A shuddering, bright synth sound trickles through and begins to establish quick, arpeggiating patterns that add texture to the music as they rise and fall.

The beat bursts and dances while bass descends under the arpeggios before the beat changes character again. Minor key chords climb and grow warmer as they rise while the roaming lead synth melody weaves in and out, feeling a bit mournful and melancholy. Sparkling stars of synth move over the slower drums and into silence.

“Mission Accomplished” springs to life with a popping synth that bounces back and forth with the smoothly flowing beat. The nasal-sounding lead synth cries out with fuzzy, caressing warmth in a rising melody while piano shines and flutters behind it. The melody is full of a dreamy sense of hope and yearning by which I am compelled. There’s a rich, all-encompassing feeling that spreads throughout the track from the main melody.

Glistening synth lead cries out over the piano’s shimmer and the wistful ache of the melody. Patterns of cascading, climbing notes move as the beat shapes the music before the track breaks to an arcing, wandering line of computerized synth over the oscillating bass line. Angular, slow patterns of 8-bit notes arpeggiate and add more motion to the track. Reverent choral sounds move along with percussion into open space and then silence.

Conclusion

Invasion is a synth album that takes me on a journey. It uses the complexity and variety of synthesizers to create strong imagery while having a good time doing so. I am drawn to the sense of fun and engaging musical elements that Disco Men From Mars weave together on the album.

Karl Magi

Album Review: ‘Summers in Anniston’ by Splash ’96

Posted on by Karl Magi

Initial Impressions

Splash ’96’s Summers in Anniston is a breezy glide through a nostalgic summer. It is full of drifting magenta clouds, jazzy riffs and a sensation of enfolding warmth that carries the listener away on sun-drenched daydreams. I can’t imagine a better album for lazing on a long, languorous day without any cares to trouble me.

One aspect of the album to which I am strongly drawn is Splash ‘96’s incorporation of funky, jazzy elements into the music. There are moments where smooth jazz riffs hit the tunes and funky beats and bass lines move under the other musical elements. I enjoy some of the cool chords and lines that have an undeniable feeling to them. I also like his ability to just sit in the pocket and groove along.

Splash ‘96’s choice of synths helps a great deal in establishing the easy, gliding atmosphere of the album and provides a hazy, warmth-filled sonic palette that suits the summery sensations that pour like caressing sunlight from the music. There are glittering, elevated synths and pan pipes that are round and rich, along with softly glowing sounds that sail and flow like blue water to carry me away on soft-focus dreams.

I enjoy the way that this album harks back to the cooler, more relaxed aspects of retro nostalgia. It moves away from the synthwave sound and explores a completely different side to the music of the ‘80s and early ‘90s. There are nods to jazz fusion, electro-funk and smooth jazz that only add to the overall summery vibe that oozes from the tracks and into the soul. I enjoy it when “retrowave” doesn’t always mean what people expect it to mean.

Track-by-Track Analysis

“CD City” comes into being with round xylophone-like synth drifting out in reverberating waves and the steady beat of a kick drum. A glimmering, repeating line of chiming synth joins the full drums as bright, shifting keyboard notes dance crisply through the track. I am drawn to the softly singing melody carried on a nasal, medium high synth that has the feeling of a tender embrace.

The melody weaves through the track as a tinkling synth plays a repeating pulse and a the high, winding line of melodic synth dances over the beat. There’s a hopeful, dreamy lead synth solo that comes in before returning to the “A” section melody. The elevated, glistening synth line is joined by a bouncy synth before the track fades out.

Bells with a slightly jangling quality start off “Our Camcorder” moving in waves as the smooth drum heartbeat pulsates and a shimmering synth carries an easily sailing melody. There’s a jazz-inflected moment of elevated synth before full sounding, bell-like synths carry a swirl of sound that swells into the track, going in volume. I enjoy the sensations of warm breezes and easy summer relaxation emanating from the medium-low synth.

A quick, funky line of organ cuts in before the open air feeling of pan pipe synths adds a hollow, airy quality as they float. Metallic sounds move in along with a high, shimmering line of smoothly sliding synth that calls out over the top of the drum beat and the full synth sings and intertwines with the open voices of the pan pipes.

“The Video Store” kicks off with resonant notes played on a jazzy organ before a circular synth with a slight distortion carries a melody that drifts along with consummate ease. The drums have a sexy throb to them as the medium-high line of synth slips through and now a sax-like synth plays a reedy pattern.

I am enamoured of the snaky, groovy beat on the track as well as the silken slide of all the sonic elements. The keyboard that plays a hypnotic pattern as the drums move the track on. A lulling, high synth line is joined by a flow of piano notes that add more layers to the music. This track has a touch of smooth jazz about it that I also like.

The sound of splashing water and a hollow, smooth drumbeat opens “Pool Water” along with a solid, moving bass line and a medium high, distorted synth pulsating steadily behind the groovy bass line that bounces through the track. A light, smooth pan pipe synth carries a gliding and relaxed melodic line as shiny glockenspiel notes sing out into the track over the throbbing beat and deep bass that add motion to the music.

I am drawn to the chimes that have a delicate, hazy shine to them as they carry a floating melody that moves across the track’s blue water feeling. The drum and bass groove is slow but strong as the pan pipes sing and an airy synth carries more of the touching, sunny melody. The bass changes and slows before upping the tempo before a whistle like synth plays piping notes that oscillate over the moving, deep bass line that comes back in again.

“Waterbed Nap” comes to life with distorted keys that shimmer and carry reverberating notes as a whisper of soft, smooth drums shivers lightly into the track with an airy brush of sound. Now a soothing, slipping melody is carried on a medium high synth that breezes into the music, caressing the ears as it lightly touches the music.

There are moments in which a raised, string-like synth that cries before there’s a return to the ease and glitter of the medium high synth line over the wash and whisper of the drums. A round-toned jazz organ descends and that easy gong high line of synth sings out through the track. There is such a relaxed and calming feel to the music as it evokes the luscious feeling of lounging around on a waterbed on a lazy summer day.

Low, smooth jazz organ moves below high chimes that sparkle and frolic over the funky slap bass line to open “Local Radar.” The chimes carry a flowing and relaxing melody that dances up above the smooth drums and grooving bass.

An airy, wavering medium-high synth with a delicate quality moves in the background while the chimes keep shimmering away. This track has a lovely misty quality and a feeling of intense ease as the guitar sings out a jazzy melody that briefly cascades through the track. The lead melody is taken up by the warm, rich tones of the guitar as it moves with a sliding ease over the bass line.

“Splurgin’ At The Mall” brings the funk! The drums and bass interlock and sit in the pocket as some super fun orchestra hits come in to add more energy to the proceedings. There’s a lot of dynamism in the bass before the medium-high, slightly rougher-edged synth carries a propulsive melody.

The percussion adds extra elements which only serve to further lift the energy level of this track. Quick flashes of different sounds add a little sonic spice as the uplifting melody keeps calling out. A very tasty guitar line comes in as the percussion throbs on and elevated synth sounds sparkle over the other elements. A hip shaking energy suffuses the track as all of the different elements come together along with super cool guitar work.

A resonant synth carries a repeating, angular pattern of notes as a xylophone’s lambent voice also shines to kick off “Quintard Cruising” as the dance floor friendly beat comes in. Floating, breathy synth chords start a melodic series of notes that move to the beat.

A pan pipe synth carries another hypnotic pattern. The track has me dancing in my chair as I write which is a good sign. Oscillating xylophone notes come in and the same hypnotic pattern repeats. This is a track all about making the booty shake.

“Late Night Drive Through” starts with a slinky, sexy drum beat and a shiny guitar playing a a chilled out, slowly unfolding melodic line. A drifting, lush synth plays a swirling glide of melody and “wah wah” guitar adds another layer to the music. The smoothly caressing jazz organ carries a delicate, feather-light melody that glides over the smooth beats and bass

Flashes of raised, nasal synth cut in along with a gnarly, sensual and groovy bass that I find addictive. Dancing, wild bursts of notes come in again the track has a glide to it and now a delicious bass line chugs into the track with swirls of higher sound around it. Through the whole track, the groove cannot be denied.

Distorted, wavering organ, slowly wobbling bass and smooth pulsing drums bring “Please Adjust Your Tracking” to life. A wild laugh and wriggly, shaking sounds move in along with raised chimes and distorted voices as the bass wobble is now joined by a voice saying, “please adjust your tracking.” A glowing synth line mooches through the track as the entertaining vocal samples come in and out.

The melody has a jazzy glide to it and the vocal samples add a quirky feeling to the track. Bells chime into the track in a rising, falling pattern that adds more light and some bea t boxing comes in along with synth brass hits and some scratching over the wavy bass.

Conclusion

Splash ’96s album Summers in Anniston is ideal listening material for a lazy summer day by the pool. It is easily flowing, soothing and calming music that still has character and energy to spare. I hope that Splash ’96 keeps making groovy, chilled-out, ear-grabbing music that takes a unique path.

First appeared on Spinditty

Synth Album Review: Daniel Quasar’s ‘WAVES’

Posted on by Karl Magi

Daniel Quasar’s WAVES is an album exploring issues of being and becoming, along with loss and pain. Their emotional exploration also includes a sonic palette that further emphasizes the themes that appear in the song lyrics with sensations of emptiness, desolation, and drift emanating from the synths that they use. The feeling of deep loneliness is occasionally pierced by light and moments that are more uplifting.

The first element that drew me to WAVES is the caliber of Daniel Quasar’s songwriting. They are able to craft words that clearly and sharply delineate emotion and humanity. Their insight into thought and feeling allows the songs to cut incisively into the listener’s mind and plant the ideas there. I also enjoy their way of crafting strong images through words.

Another strong aspect of the album is the use of synths to evoke feelings of emptiness, vast cosmic voids, and great distance. There are cold, starry twinkling sounds, glitches, and static along with moments of deep bass and sounds all backed by wide open sonic space. Those sensations of separation and division match the lyrical content nicely. I find myself transported by the overall sonic palette of the music and carried on a space journey.

I also find myself drawn in by the way Daniel Quasar uses their voice. They have a natural ache in their singing that only emphasizes the emotional content of the music more but they have also effectively used a vocal filter that creates a robotic tone. The feelings of isolation, cold, and distance are all powerfully present and deepen the strength of the lyrical content further.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“UPGRADE” comes into being with a great void of open space around Daniel Quasar’s robotically distorted voice and a hollow, metallic sound that expands into that vast sonic space. Echoing, bouncing and metallic sounds keep flowing out into the cosmic void along with their distorted vocals.

Sharp-edged, medium-low synth sounds drift in waves as they’re joined by the throbbing pulse of the beat. Their vocals drift along through space and the beat feels relentless as the hard-edged synths growl into cavernous space. Now we fade into those broken, brief sounds and clouds of sharp-edged synth underneath and the beat breaks apart. Their voice has a lost quality as it moves into the song.

Dislocation, loss, and a sense of confusion fill the words of this song. The narrator talks about feeling something coming from all around. They ask, “What was I thinking? Leave it all behind.” There is uncertainty for them as they wonder, “If I take it all when it comes, will I make it to the other side?”

The confusion seems to reign as our narrator isn’t sure about what’s going on. They do, however, realize that it “won’t be long ’til I find myself in another place” where they’ll be “left to devices” and can’t go wrong.

Intense feelings grow like “a storm brewing in my mind” and as they go into the rush, ‘it feels like desire.” They ask if they weather it, will they find themselves “planed even higher?”

Uncertainty grows too as they are “stuck in this from within” on a path that was chosen but the narrator questions whether the choice was theirs at all. Even if it was, they ask,” Could I change the pace? Find some meaning held deep inside.”

Shadowy waves of computerized synth sound rise in dark, full chords to open “Lonely Soldier (feat. Vice)” as deep tubular bells move below Daniel Quasar’s expressive vocals. The dense clouds of trembling synth echo out around the lost, almost spectral vocals. There is a brightness in the synths that move in, but it’s the cold and empty light of distant stars.

The vocals interlock with the deep resonance of the tubular bells before Vice starts to rhyme over the stuttering beat and floating synths that ripple out behind the music. Daniel Quasar’s voice fits the emotional tenor of this music well. High, whistling, ethereal synth moves in shifting lines and the deep tubular bells swell and fade out to end the track.

A tale of a robotic or cybernetic soldier unfolds in the lyrics. The character in the story is “frozen in a lake of every kind of danger” and is surrounded by it. It is taking over and the soldier’s answer to not knowing where to go is to “breakthrough.”

Even after taking the time to “realign” their surroundings, the protagonist realizes that something is quite wrong. The main character is just ”a lonely soldier, mechanical wonder” who has been “through the fire and out from under.”

Loss and emptiness permeate the song in the lines, “I don’t know what it takes but I don’t fit in this place. There’s no one else here.” The soldier comes to eventually realize that “it’ll fall apart if I mine this iron heart.”

Our narrator points out that we take our time to survive but asks, “How will you know when you crossed that line?”

Vice’s rhymes are enjoyably complex and nuanced verse. It is from the main character’s perspective and contains some powerful images. This is a journey into a slowly dawning comprehension that has been hard-won. There is a need to let go and break free of old patterns expressed here.

I have some favorites out of the rhymes that were created. I enjoy the contradictory feelings in the line, “crave the morning light which I refuse to harness.” I love the tripartite personality shown in the words, “a lonely soldier or a broken man or a chrysalis bursting in my squeezing hand.”

I enjoy the vigilance and seeking being described in the words, “I keep an eye on my mind and on my latent desires. Ever searching for an ember to kindle a flame” and the neat phrasing in the line, “there isn’t a science to the art of being.”

The realization that inner knowledge is the most important form of knowledge is expressed in the words, “Of course that ember’s hidden deep inside, only recognized by the eternal eye.”

I am enamored of the sophistication in the lyrics that say, “against the grain of generations of pain, epigenetically embedded in our bones and veins.” I enjoy the interwoven rhyme inside the lines, “Its armor slow sundering, the siren call of these luxuries, that constant psychic hungering.”

“LAST/STEP” comes to life as a rush of tight synth sound moves into the wide-open sonic spaces of the track. Medium-high synth moves in rising lines over the deep wells of bass and a throbbing drumbeat that becomes more active as it moves, but still brushes the surface of the track rather lightly.

Sharp synth rises in minor key lines and the drums gain some power as all of the sounds rush on in shadowy space. The beat launches again along with some astral, breathy, open sounds flowing out into the track. I enjoy the mixture of glow and ache in those lambent notes. I also like how the melodic segment is slowed down so the melody unfolds more gradually.

Bursts of glimmering synth are joined by high, slicing sounds that move over the throbbing beat as “Celestial Beings” kicks off. The beat fades for a moment as shimmering, airy synths flash into the track and weave a bright tapestry. The beat rises and again drops off as the synths swirl together as a high melody calls out in a wandering line.

I am drawn to the flash and sparkle of this track, balanced against elements that feel tense and nervous. Above all of the other sonic elements of the track, the flickering synths dance. The beat drops out again and a sawtoothed synth cuts in and fades before the beat re-establishes itself. A quick line of glowing, cascading synth moves and wiggles above the track as it closes out.

“Wild Abandon” beings with oscillating synth waves floating out over the gently throbbing drums and Daniel Quasar has imbued their voice with a robotic distortion, creating an alien feeling. I enjoy how the robotic vocals effectively increase the sense of desolation the permeates this album. A synth with a ragged edge and a hard glitter flashes into the track and the beat has a smooth, full feeling.

Over the beat, the synth drifts into medium-high, guitar-like waves. An echoing, metallic circular sound is joined by a high, howling synth. Like many of the tracks on this album, it has an open and spaced-out feeling that adds to the overall impressions of alienation and struggle with inner complexity.

A sense of questioning and seeking fills the lyrics of this song. Our narrator begins by saying,” Can’t seem to understand, there are mysteries all around.” They continue to question if it’s something that they could even change and if so “could I hold it down?”

Their mind is racing with “wildly abandoned thoughts” but they still are forced to ask, “Why is this silence so loud when I can’t seem to make a sound?” There is an internal struggle going on as the narrator feels tears on their face but asks, “What is this I am trying to feel?”

Now they cry out, “Mysteries escape and again, couldn’t I just speak aloud?” The feeling of incomprehension is clear as they say they can’t understand and add, “if it’s something I can, could i hold it down?

Ghostly, elevated synths that drift out into space are joined by brittle metallic xylophone notes and a harsh, clashing beat as “Proto” starts. Raised synth bursts over top in glistening notes that carry a minor key pattern. A warmer, richer flow of synth comes in with the sound of tubular bells and the lead synth has a triumphant quality to it.

Another moment of metallic tinkling moves in before the raised, round-sounding synths climb up over the depth and weight underneath them. I am drawn to how all of the synth elements intertwine in this track. The rising waves of notes are underpinned by more shadowed swirls of sound and the bursting beat that hits under it and we fade out on shimmering notes and ghostly chimes.

“BLUE” opens on elevated, bright, glitchy synth sounds that are reminiscent of a cassette tape being rewound over a smooth, flowing background. Daniel Quasar’s voice drifts into the openness as a steady drum heartbeat pulse and accelerates. The beat subdivides and in the background gliding, airy sounds shift and coalesce.

Once more, Daniel Quasar’s vocal distortion adds to the feeling of dislocation. The high, twisting synth slowly moves in the background and again there is a half-time beat. A pipe organ-like synth twines out a series of melodic, caressing notes and we fade into silence.

This is one of the more positive songs on the album as it speaks of progress and change for the better. The narrator says that they have changed and that they “realize things are different,
I know I did you wrong” but now they are set free and they want to make amends.

They ask what the person they’re addressing sees n their eyes and if they’d see “would you see the same life as i do?” Our narrator speaks of a spiritual change in them and adds, “I’ve grown to such great heights. I’ve seen the world, the universe for what it’s worth.”

The narrator concludes, “I’ve seen the end and I’ll do so much more.”

Hollow synth sounds fill the opening of “COLORS” before they’re joined by a string-like sound that cascades through the song behind Daniel Qasar’s distinctive voice as they sing in Japanese. Slow arpeggios revolve and the beat pulses as the synths glide and swirl around.

I enjoy the angular quality to the shining guitar melody that moves through the song. Tense, tight pulses of shiny and metallic synth glide out through the track, moving under the expressive vocals.

The song has more forward motion now as it drives on and that angular guitar melody fades to flashing string-like sounds and open space. The slow arpeggios gently turn before the dynamic, rising guitar melody cries out and the beat pulses onward. The vocal melody doubles the guitar and the guitar sings out in long lines of shimmering notes.

In keeping with the ideas and themes explored on this album, COLORS is a song by the Japanese artist Hikaru Utada that explores themes of connection, dissolution, and identity. Daniel Quasar chose well when they picked it.

“Ambivalent” comes to life with static glitch and twist flowing out into space, like a signal cut loose from its source. Elevated piano notes drift into the music through the open space all around them. The patterns of notes rise and fall into the emptiness around them, echoing out in repeating lines as a deeper flow of bass and a slow, full drumbeat gives the track form and shape. as rich but slightly edged synths rise up in full waves to support the music.

The synths shift in medium-low waves as elevated, lost feeling piano drifts over the growing sonic strength underneath it. Slow, gentle notes swirl out into the echoing emptiness that feels like it might never end. The repeating piano line has a hypnotic quality that I find addictive. The slight buzz of the lower synths swells up again and the whorls of sound intertwine with the deep bass.

A quick rush of sound rises and floats out into space along with a keyboard-like swirl of sound as “Drift(Fate) begins. Some unique percussion adds a rather ethnic flavor to the track as flowing synth notes move through the grand aural void of the track. There’s an elevated synth pattern that has a whorled quality to it.

A round, glitching, twisting synth carries a wandering line over the beat, and lighter sounds gleam in the distance. I like the complex nature of this track as glitchy synth twists and piano notes that cluster and wriggle through as the beat continues onward. As the track ends, alone twisting and distorted synth flows out into vast space.

Conclusion

WAVES is a rich, nuanced listen that voyages across the deep emotional territory and create a wide-open, cold soundscape along with a very human examination of vulnerabilities and ways to grow.

Karl has been a freelance writer for over 10 years. He’s passionate about music, art, and writing!

Album Review: LWTHR’s synth-dom ‘Home’

Posted on by Karl Magi
home-lwthr

Read on to find out why I enjoy how “Home” creates luscious, intricate soundscapes that are full of hope, but touched by melancholy.

Initial Impressions

LWTHR’s Home is an album that is full of dreamy drifts of warm sound, lovingly crafted melodies and spans a broad range of synth tones, timbres and textures that paint rich aural imagery in the mind of the listener.

The first element that I feel makes Home work well is the dreaming, misty quality of many parts of the album. There are softly glowing, floating soundscapes that sparkle with light and glide along with ease. It’s the mental equivalent of taking a deep, cleansing breath as one listens to the music.

LWTHR also has a gift for melodic writing and it shows on the album. The melodies he creates are clear, memorable and emotive. I enjoy how many of them are positive and hopeful, but always have just a touch of melancholy or sadness. There’s something touching in that combination for me.

There’s a richness and depth to the synth choices that have been made on Home. LWTHR explores a wide variety of synth sounds that run the gamut from clear and sharp to gentler and more flowing. Along with full bass and solid drums, all of the different musical elements work together to create a full sounding album.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Pathfinder Mission” kicks off with trembling, rattling sounds fill the wide open void of space as a steadily rising series of cosmic, caressing notes are joined by uplifting piano chords.

Full arpeggios glimmer and dance as the solid, pulsating drumbeat adds form to the music. An elevated, metallic synth carries a shining line of synth that mirrors the waves of lambent sound that throb out over the beat’s steadiness.

The shimmering synths play extended lines of oscillating sound while delicate aural mist swirls. A repeating, trembling line of synth rises and falls as piano chords climb and sing into the track. I am drawn toward the cascading torrents of light flowing from this track.

Computerized, round sounding waves of medium-high synth ripple across the surface of “Aurora Australis” as soft, ticking percussion becomes a throbbing pulse and whorls of synth coalesce and cry out a hopeful, heart warming melody over the substantial drums. I enjoy the caressing nature of the melody in this track.

A rich, slightly distorted series of notes moves behind the melodic line, wobbling a little, as it glimmers into the open air of the music. There’s a momentary lapse into silence before the steady beat shapes the music again. The bright melody dreams over the chest deep beat while arpeggios spread in glowing ripples while warm chords flow.

“Dreaming Cities” begins with keyboard notes that have a twisting edge to them as they move in a tide of oscillating sound. A lush, slightly sharp-edged synth carries an unsettled melodic pattern as another bursting, wandering synth with a technological feeling flickers and washes outwards through the track.

There’s an impression of a dream that isn’t completely pleasant in this track. A circular, glistening sound shifts while the beat pulsates and adds motion to the track. The melodic synths expand through the track and another evolving, shifting line of synth flows out in an oscillating rush before the track returns to the “A” section.

A full, intertwined synth wash is joined by a warmly lapping melody that sings out with light and ease to open “Perpetual Motion.” I am touched by the message of hope that the music exudes.

An elevated, shimmering line of synth soars upwards over the steady beat’s gliding throb while stacked, ever climbing chords are broken into by a quickly spinning arpeggio.

The song’s hopeful message is emphasized by a robotic voice repeating the phrase “Nobody’s stopping us now” and stuttering, throbbing broken beats move along with nasal-sounding, leaping arpeggios that move in dense clouds. Climbing, drifting synths keep adding brightness before the track breaks to the robotic voice and smoothly sliding and sparkling tides of sound.

Dense, slightly gritty washes of sound move into “Sega Blue Skies” with expanding circles of medium-low synth hat vibrate out into the music over the slow tempo of the drums. Rapidly leaping lines of chip sound flare through the music and the relentless patterns of vibrating synth sound go on. Chip sounds arpeggiate and wriggle rapidly through the track before a massive drum fill hits.

A synth that gives a rocking sensation to the music rises and falls in uneven pulses. I am enamoured of the feeling of energetic agitation in this track. Expansive synth chords add more depth and a feeling of fullness before glimmering, leaping chip sounds flicker through in a surging tide before silence falls.

“Andromeda Initiative” comes to life with a delicate airy background and sweeping synth notes that extend out over it. A glittering arpeggio circles slowly as a steady pulsation of sunlit synth moves in lines that flow on and on. The beat comes into the track with a solid weight to guide it along. I am pulled in by the addictive combination of gentleness and wistful aching in the main melody as medium-low, round synth carries descending musical patterns.

There’s a drum fill before coruscating, slow bursts of synth move over the reverberating echoes of glowing sound underneath. The pained, softly touching melody slips into the track while the drums keep shaping and propelling the music in smooth forward motion. The lead synth now breaks into the descending patterns of sound, matched by the beat and a bass oscillation that flows into the echoing drift.

Conclusion

LWTHR creates luscious, intricate soundscapes on Home that combine with his melodic chops and a feeling of hope and dreaming that is just a little tragic and melancholy. I find that this album relaxes me while still engaging me as a listener.