“You have to get out of your headphones and listen the album via your speakers in order to be carried away by this unique blend of cosmic styles”
1 Atmospheric Influences I-Sunrise 2:11
2 Apeiron 4:18
3 Covering Spaces 6:44
4 Image of Introspection I 8:12
5 Atmospheric Influences II-Anomalous Halo 2:26
6 Entangled Tachyons 6:03
7 Veil of our Memory 6:20
8 Image of Introspection II 7:38
9 Atmospheric Influences III-Mysterious Flashes 2:42
10 Beyond the Cauchy Horizon 10:15
11 Illusory Weave 4:34
12 Ion Mirage 5:29
13 Life on a Brane 6:25
14 (Space)Ships Set Sails 6:35
(CD/DDL 79:58) (V.F.)
(Cosmic Rock vintage)
Ah our dear Ron Boots! Always on the lookout, he soaks his ears everywhere in order to make us discover new talents well hidden in their continents. We owe him in part this rebirth of the Belgian EM with the release of many albums remastered by Groove. We also owe him the discoveries of artists with such immense potential as their discographies. I think of Eloy Fritsch, Alexander Obukhov, IcingWolf and now this Orbiflod C! A Russian scientist creating his music according to mathematical concepts while leaving a large place for romanticism, Orbiflod C delivers to us in APEIRON a magnificent album of cosmic music with hints of rock like good ambient moments which are covered by essences, as much in music as well as in atmospheric elements, by artists as legendary in the history of contemporary cosmic EM like Jean-Michel Jarre, Software and Vangelis.
Atmospheric Influences I-Sunrise cosmic opens with woosshh and waasshh whose slow thrusts make the stars twinkle. From a harmonic-cosmic point of view, that's more like Jean-Michel Jarre. And that continues on the title-track where the harmonies of the synth flirt with these cosmic universes which caress our ears since the birth of Oxygen. Covering Spaces sets the tone! Its approach of cosmic rhythm is catchy. Sitting on a good bass line and electronic percussions, it takes us on a rhythmic flight through the sonic bad weather of the Cosmos. The addition of percussive effects, slamming like sheet metal and moving from one ear, from one speaker, to the other is becoming an object of addiction. Especially when the synth follows this progression in order to offer a host of choruses in the form of solos with yesteryear tones. We leave the spells of Covering Spaces to set foot on a swarm of sequences and arpeggios which flutter with a fascinating spasmodic effect, creating the static rhythm of Image of Introspection. A good creeping bass line leads us into an ever so attractive setting where breaches allow the arpeggios to frolic freely out of the bubble. Second part of the album, Atmospheric Influences II-Anomalous Halo serves as a bridge to bring out Entangled Tachyons which is a good cosmic rock à la Software. A melody is hidden under the one which is more dominant, explaining the harmonic richness of the title which also has its perfumes of JM Jarre. In fact, all APEIRON is soaked of it! This brings us to a lunar ballad, Veil of our Memory. Sitting on a bed swarming with static sequences, the melody is driven by an active synth, both in terms of its harmonies and its soaring solos. The decor is reminiscent of a futuristic vision that is equivalent to that of Blade Runner with its synth as melancholy as the vision of its title. The twirling arpeggios of its finale are found in the opening of Image of Introspection II whose first 4 minutes are forged in the essences of Vangelis' music of the future, period 88-94. Its second part consists of retained impulses.
Atmospheric Influences III-Mysterious Flashes opens the third part of this debut album from Orbifold C on Groove. Its universe is cosmic, as in the early years of Software. Longest title of APEIRON, Beyond The Cauchy Horizon throws a veil of catastrophist in its universe. At least its first 6 minutes which are conceived in mode ambiences with slow momentums of a very elastic bass line. On the other hand, these minutes are fed by good cosmic effects and very good solos of a synth which knows how to harmonize its alarmist trumpet complaints with the harmonious sound of analog years. There is a good tension in this title which leads to the upward movement of the sequencer. The rhythm that comes out of it remains static, like an idle walk on a treadmill where you adjust the level of the hills to climb. A title designed for the beauty of synth solos! Illusory Weave comes at the right time with its more lively ascending rhythm where dreamlike solos are grafted into an intoxicating spheroidal structure. The percussion game regains tone in the album which seems to have found again the path of cosmic rhythms. Ion Mirage begins on cosmic solos before pushing himself with a beautiful structure of rhythm as catchy as it is harmonious. It's cosmic rock closer to the ballad, because of its very melodious side with Mexican-flavored solos. Life on a Brane follows with a beautiful electronic rhythm made up of jumping keys on a sequencer line in slow oscillation mode. The solos that crisscross this more hesitant than fragile rhythm bite it with harmonic peaks. Ditto with this pulsing bass-line that solidifies its rhythm axis as the synth releases solos as sharp as those of a guitarist in mode, make your guitar cry. The cosmic effects adorn this structure, darted with stroboscopic threads, which is more catchy for the neurons left to discovery, than these legs patting of the feet. We were waiting for a rock as powerful as Covering Spaces? It's (Space) Ships Set Sails that delivers it. Without being so wild, it's the FM type with his melody played on a piano that make the ears go wide. A piano à la Richard Clayderman in a cosmic storm always driven by a powerful synth which flies over with its solos a rock pushed by solid percussions and oscillating sequences which will deliver (Space) Ships Set Sails to the ambient elements of the Cosmos.
You have to get out of your headphones and listen the album through your speakers in order to let yourself be carried away by the very enveloping cosmic universe of Orbiflod C. This junction between the ambiences and the electronic-cosmic rhythms of Jean-Michel Jarre, Software and Vangelis gives to APEIRON an envelope sound as rich as its content. And although the concept offered by the Russian scientist is based on foundations unraveled in the 70's, and which still serve as inspiration some 50 years later, the value of this album is not diminished as Orbiflod C is exploring the genre a bit further by creating a story that perfectly follows the steps of a musical manuscript. I have found this to be a great album and a must have for fans of the artists above.
Sylvain Lupari (March 12th, 2021) ****½*
Available at Groove nl.