![]() It’s an exercise in tension, but it never makes you tense. It repeats the same synth pattern, occasionally pushing the background bass thrum into the foreground to keep things a little more interesting. The two most blatant offenders are “Shores of Oblivion” and “Hope.” The former, given the name, aims to compel a riveting sense of dread. As a result, the track is tepid and dull, which is even more upsetting when you realize it’s one of the more interesting tracks on the record. It just adds layer upon layer without really the dynamics of the track. The opening track “Depths of Power” threatens to have dynamic range but always stops short of developing anything interesting. What we’re left with is a meandering, far too long album that never settles on a destination worth reaching.īreaking it down track by track, these flaws become even more apparent. Each track is too slow to be a compelling dance track, but also too in your face to drift into ambient like Tycho, or just vibes like TOKiMONSTA. The issue is that it never commits enough to a single one to excel. Magic Sword, if one had to venture a guess, is shooting for some combination of vibe and dance. Though there are exceptions to these three categories, most electronic artists tend to fit into at least one. Most electronic groups either choose to be more dance-focused, drop focused or vibe focused. While one can appreciate when bands and artists subvert typical song structures, that isn’t exactly what Magic Sword is trying to do here. As previously discussed, it’s been both strange and rewarding to see the rise once again of the kind of active instrumental synth rock that used to wash over the landscape in the wake of Tangerine Dream.To paint a broad picture of the flaws inherent in Endless, it comes down to dynamics. Much of the artists creating it labored in near-obscurity for years before the axis shifted their way once again, including S U R V I V E. The quartet has toiled away in the shadows of Austin’s music scene since 2008 before suddenly being thrust into the spotlight when two of its members provided the soundtrack to the Netflix hit Stranger Things. ![]() While well-deserved, the success of that series has overshadowed the band’s big-league recording debut RR7349. The group’s second album flows like the score to an obscure 80s science fiction flick, the kind that thrived on VHS and is remembered more for the music than the visuals. The creamy “Dirt,” the hazy “Sorcerer” and the pulsing “Wardenclyffe” utilize gorgeous electronic tones and enigmatic atmospheres that encourage you to make up your own bizarre 80s filmic artifact. RR7349 deserves to be spun as often as Stranger Things. Zombi has been at the forefront of the synthwave revival for years, and, as with S U R V I V E, one of its members has a side gig as a soundtrack composer. The Mind’s Eye is Steve Moore’s latest (though the film came out in 2015), following Cub earlier this year. As such, it’s much harder to divorce from the visuals it’s meant to accompany than his work with Zombi. That’s not to say he’s not a master of texture and movement – a tune like “The Shot” brings on the perfect atmosphere for the horror flick it supports, with just enough energy to keep from being wallpaper but not enough to distract from the action. Most of the pieces are under two minutes, so they die before they get old, though the closing “End Credits,” which encapsulates most of the ideas Moore put into the soundtrack, is a significant exception. Though not as compelling as Moore’s work with his main band, The Mind’s Eye still catches the ear. Mysterious ensemble Magic Sword also produces a soundtrack with Legend EP, the group’s second release. But it’s for a comic, instead of a film, one revolving around a strange, powerful weapon and the Keeper charged with guarding it. Fortunately, having the pages turn in front of you isn’t necessary to enjoy the sounds of these three tracks. A steady electro-pulse and buzzing bass tones keep the rhythms percolating as synths and guitars exchange melodies with dramatic flourishes. On paper it sounds like progressive rock, and there is some of that ambience, though the sonics favor early videogame music just as much.
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