A1 – Battle at the Red Mountain: Synth Alien kicks this Electro inspired EP off with a neck snapping piece of electronic wonderment. This track is a very energy infused down tempo number and has all of the components to make this a very addictive listening experience. The beats are tight with chunky kicks and snares that really punch through the mix. This is enhanced further with brushing percussive elements that add to the sway and groove of the track.
The synth sounds are a mixed bag of edgy fore frontal stabs, blended with softer pads and atmospheric parts, the combination of both hard and soft sounds is executed to perfection. The bass line is a warbling arpeggiated pulse that comes straight out of the Tron universe. It has a cyclical loop feel that really hypnotises and creates a “drift into me” trance state type of vibe. BATRM has such a powerful build up that whips up into a controlled frenzy of epic proportions, excellent tune.
A2 – Night That Lights the Day: The second track on the “A-Side” could be straight off of the Drive movie soundtrack. The hypnotising bass melody really draws you into a visual city scape imagining in a night time setting. The lead sounds are delicate and have a real depth to them giving an eerie but pleasant feeling to the tune. The beat structure comes from a more laid back place to the previous track on this side of the EP. Softer snare and kick patterns, laser blasts, tamb rolls and dusty hats really give the main synth parts the chance to shine.
Drifty filmic pad sounds come straight from an 80’s inspired theme, and have a real sense of space without going to deep. The main synth parts are very well arranged and have a retro styling to them. This is a quality piece of music and for those people who love the synth based offerings of Jan Hammer or producers of that era will not be disappointed with this very well produced and crafted track.
B1–Flying Over the Steppe: This is a very upbeat little number that uses the quality electro style of the previous two tracks on the flip. Pulsing bass lines that have a real stamp of pure genius about them, have a certain feeling that screams out from days gone by. The synths and leads sounds are from the top drawer of the cool wave cupboard. The delicate riffs permeate the softer pads to great effect and really have a visual story in the way that they are laid out.
As far as the percussive sections go, they are driving without being harsh. Skipping hats and crunchy snares are accompanied with a simple kick drum that gently taps out a nicely paced rhythm. The devil is in the details and the subtle little things in this tune are what make it really stand out. Synth Alien has come up trumps again with Flying Over the Steppe, it’s a superb piece of music and well worth buying for this track alone.
B2 – We Never Came Back: The closing track on the Memories EP takes a more reflective approach. The key player here is a noodling arpeggiated sound that really has quite a tripped out spatial feeling. This is wrapped around with some drifty fx and solid bass sounds that envelope the main part beautifully.
The drum programming is very futuristic and has more of a free flow to it. Metallic snares, stuttered kicks and laser blasts create a simple but effective groove that has a certain swagger to it. Gentle hats brush over the top and add a slight progression to the overall beat structure. The feeling of the track has a chilled vibe but with urgency and immediacy to the way that the arrangement has been put together. A stunning way to close this EP which is a must have recording. Top stuff from Synth Alien 10/10.
Superb Electro from the Last Known Trajectory label. Limited edition, Vinyl-only release.
Aural Imbalance review
a1. Battle at the Red Mountain
a2. Night That Lights the Day
b1. Flying Over the Steppe
b2. We Never Came Back
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