“This is a nice album where the fans of Jarre will be on known ground and those of Glenn Main will discover his best album to date!”
1 Deep Within 5:16 2 Dusty Rider 3:24 3 Crying 4:24 4 Fun Fare 3:32 5 In the Mood for Flow 3:57 6 Promethium 4:25 7 Mother Boah 4:58 8 Deep Ocean Blue 3:24 9 Synthetic Opera 3:34 10 Pulsing Resonance 4:30 11 Animalistica 3:58 12 Goodbye Friend 4.32 ADMusic | AD143CD
(CD 49:54) (V.F.) (Cosmic Synth-Pop and Electronica)
A synth is whistling with a timbre a bit fluty on the vestiges of a buzzing shadow from which the radiances and the impulses make ring carillons and where also skip wandering chords. It's from this contrast that a line of resonant sequence makes oscillate and dance its keys in a pattern of electronic rhythm which attracts us irreparably in the cradle of Glenn Main's influences. Deep Within infiltrates our ears with an electronic hymn clearly more melodious than lively. The synth blows some solos which coo on a line of sequences of which the soft oscillations sculpt a rhythm which kicks the mood like the most peaceful ones of Chronology. Very Cartesian in his approach, Glenn Main settles a sonic decoration which is situated near the galaxies without turning the back on a musical genre which brushes a synth-pop, and which looks for its dens in Electronica. Without reinventing his style, which goes from Oxygene to Chronology while passing by Revolutions, and with a clearly more polished up approach, Glenn Main offers doubtless in INTO THE BLUE is best opus to date. For his 2nd album on the English label AD Music, the synthesist from Norway signs a nice collection of 12 tracks which is a real hits machine loaded of lively electronic hymns. And feel reassured, the influences and especially the imprints of Jean-Michel Jarre are omnipresent. And Glenn Main uses it of a right way by mixing analog and digital eras. By mixing admirably both poles, Oxygene to Chronology, in a harmonious envelope which carries more his signature than that of the French synth wizard.
Dusty Rider sticks to the finale of Deep Within and offers a more nervous rhythm. The meshing of sequences and percussions gives a very lively depth to a rhythm which also holds a good simplistic melody which are among the most beautiful charm here. Each piece of music, well mostly, possesses its musical itch. Like in Crying and its keyboard which scrolls its chords on sequences jumping up slightly in clouds of astral mist and in a sound envelope which lives on the cosmic ambiences of Jarre without becoming soaked too much with it. Fun Fare is as much appealing as Dusty Rider. The synth throws beautiful harmonious solos while the rhythm trembles in the air with a very catchy melody. Perfume of Oxygene, for the rattling percussions, and Revolutions, for the rhythm and harmonies, fill our ears here. And it's even more fascinating on Promethium, by far the most beautiful track here, with its cosmic rhythm of the Equinoxe years. The Electronica approach is also very present with tracks like Mother Boah and Pulsing Resonance, and with a delicious down-tempo with a Chill zest that is In the Mood for Flow. Synthetic Opera sounds like a Chronology forgotten track with a nice layer of choirs, just like Animalistica and its ambivalent structure of rhythm which unwinds its curves and jerks under a thick cloud of squeaks and animal noises of any kinds. There are softer tracks too. Like the very moody and lunar Deep Ocean Blue, which is a beautiful cosmic romance with a very melancholic synth, and Goodbye Friend ends this album with a beautiful Vangelis approach.
I have to agree with the press guide when it mentions that this second album from the Norwegian synthesist to appear on AD Music label is his most finished in date. The compositions are well structured and Glenn Main amazes with a fascinating control of a kind that several are to break teeth, of which himself, by trying too much to imitate their idol. Honest, very musical and filled with beautiful moments, INTO THE BLUE is the album which it is necessary to listen to if we want to enter Glenn Main's universe.
Sylvain Lupari (June 5th, 2015) ***½**
Available at AD Music