“The music is carved out in the Berlin School with a vision that is akin to Indra's astral poetry on creative patterns of rhythms”
1 The Nomad 4:35
2 Seven Sisters 13:09
3 Pulsar 9:00
4 A Thousand Moons 9:06
5 Memento Mori 12:13
(DDL 48:04) (V.F.)
(Berlin School)
A big reverberating fart paves the way for a zigzagging movement of the sequencer which in turn reveals a rhythmic melody created by a line of luminous arpeggios. Electronic percussions surround the whole thing; The Nomad gets then activated by the main elements of EM when the synth interferes in order to create a line of harmonies which seeks rather to modulate for a Jazz style melody. And as the title lasts only 4 minutes plus 35 seconds, Alba Ecstasy brings other percussions to it, definitely flirting with an electronic rock strongly attracted by Free-Jazz. I stopped questioning, but not commenting on Mihail-Adrian Simion's immense skill as a composer, and as a melodist while we are at it. PRELUDE TO SPACE, the album is based on the devotion of the Romanian musician-synthesist-engineer, belongs to AE's list of solid albums. The music is carved out in the Berlin School with a vision that is akin to Indra's astral poetry on creative patterns of rhythms that are always quite particular in the hands of Alba Ecstasy.
Seven Sisters begins with a good chime movement, like those musical boxes that we opened when we were children to admire the graceful ballet of a figurine carved in the hard. Regardless, the melody finely hammered by a kind of piano made its nest in our ears. Minimalist, the circular rhythm of this hypnotic movement serves as an anchor for synth solos which exchange their chants on other impulses of the sequencer. But still, the initial movement carries the weight of every layer of rhythm and combat of the synth solos. Pulsar follows with a slightly bolder approach. The rhythm is formed around a crazy dance of sequences, percussions and bass-sequences. Added to this are sound effects, including intriguing vocal and organic effects, in addition to keyboard chords. The union of these disparate elements with the elements of percussion gives a seductive spasmodic approach. It makes a kind of cosmic Hip-Hop mimed bodily by cybernetic beings with curt gestures. We hook quite easily to the fluid rhythm of A Thousand Moons which is a good Berlin School animated by the lively alternation of jumping keys to which clings a slew of arpeggios without choreographic direction, thus weaving an evasive melody which tinkles in veils of mist. A mist which gradually modifies its molecule to inhale the layers of violins made of anxiety which won't reach full maturity, but which make their effects in this lively track. Memento Mori is the pearl of PRELUDE TO SPACE. AE brings us into the temporal corridors of albums such as Dreams and En=Trance by Klaus Schulze. The sequencer releases hitting keys that forge the beauty of a xylophone carved out in the elements of the gods of music. The rhythm that it releases is fluid, like a carpet of balls which undulate and undulate without showing a snag. The perfect dream rhythm! The synth extends vocal effects, such as a very poorly adjusted vocoder, in addition to leaving free cooings which turn in a loop in a sound mosaic which thickens its structure of charms in a final which let hear funny Gypsy violins. But it's still fabulous.
Here is! An average title, 2 good titles, another very good one and a pearl! Not bad for an album released from an album chain where each album I heard and reviewed had the same score.
Sylvain Lupari (September 25th, 2020) *****
Available at Alba Ecstasy Bandcamp