“Interplanetary is again another strong album from Sayer who is second to none to offer this electronic cosmic rock adorned of renewal”
1 Into the Unknown 6:56 2 Kepler-452b Orbit 8:07 3 Airwave 7:09 4 Lost Civilization 7:18 5 Light Years 7:49 6 Hyper Drive 4:53 7 Alien Landscape 7:36 8 Caustic Echoes 6:30 9 Serendipity 6:43 10 Cruising Deep Space 7:45 11 Mysteries of the Unknown 7:30 Sayer Music
(CD-r/DDL 78:16) (V.F.) (Cosmic E-Rock)
Our dear interplanetary electronic rocker returns on the Earth waves with a new album. About 16 months after the excellent Cosmic Voyagers, Sayer gets back to us with another solid album of electronic rock, always so catchy and harmonious, which makes less in the nuances and which grazes our walls with strong E-Rock vibes boosted in sequences and in electronic percussions. INTERPLANETARY marks also a new period in the career of Sayer Seely who was busy with expanding and reorganizing his studio. The album takes advantage of this 16 months break by exposing an even more colored sound field where the 78 minutes of this album propose an incredible wealth of sequencing patterns rich of a tonal flora as fascinating as very spicy.
A wave wraps our ears with its heavy multi-sound halo. A movement of sequences, with tones a bit organic (or cosmic?) runs away in order to structure a heavy and slow rhythm where move madly and contort solos, and shadows of these solos, in a universe in constant movement. This rhythm which rises and falls slowly abounds in adjacent sequences which irradiate these rhythmic harmonies swirling smoothly in slow stroboscopic spirals. Into the Unknown sets the tone to an album which exploits marvellously the cosmic capacities of Sayer's new studio toys. The sound effects respect the always intergalactic vision of Sayer with thick clouds of cracklings of stars and numerous trails of cosmic dusts from the celestial bodies in movement. The rhythm which waves constantly, and which plays on its sequenced refractions, makes us stamp of the feet in the cockpit of a space shuttle. And these solos which ring out at the point of 3 minutes are simply outstanding. If you are familiar with Sayer's structures of music, he always makes them evolve inside their time frames, inciting our ears to be constantly on the beat. And there are always titles which compete between them to arouse to the maximum of our feelings. Kepler-452b Orbit hits me right in the soul! I can say that too for Cruising Deep Space. Its intro, drawn in vapors of mist, gets free from the thick astral nebulosity with good hectic sequences and felted percussions. It's as much dense as floating, even if the sequences are in mode; titillate me the ears! And coming out of nowhere, the 2nd part throws out a harmonious approach that hits us like a truck. This is a great track which takes advantage at the most of the variances in the tints of sequences. The very rhythmic introduction of Airwave also benefits of the organic effects and the contrasting tones from these sequences. The rhythm remains steady and progresses by the evolutionary impulses of the sequencer. This is a solid and good lively cosmic rock which moves hardly, and which is adorned of wonderful solos as soon as we get in its second part.
Light Years is built upon the same standard. It's the effects and the solos which give this perception of increasing speed to the music. And, as you know me, I always love these effects of gaseous percussions. And if the tones of sequences, and the multiple variances in the art to support a rhythm, are the jewels of INTERPLANETARY, the percussions are not so far behind. Solid from A to Z, Hyper Drive is a good homogeneous rock with solid effects, both at the level of the synth and of the sequencer. If your floor is still of level, Caustic Echoes risks to twist it with a fascinating and rather futuristic rock. It's this kind of title which could make melt at any time any plug of earwax! There are more complex titles, like the movement of cosmic waltz which sets up the introduction of Lost Civilization. The atmospheres are ripped open by steady percussions, giving an impulse of mid-tempo to this waltz which swirls always slowly by the strength of its orchestrations. The cadence gets accentuate with more lively percussions and with sequences which multiply the rhythmic strikes. The effect is almost Arabian. A very good title with a filmic vision! Alien Landscape is the perfect fusion between the retro and contemporary Tangerine Dream. There is something very romantic and very Vangelis in Serendipity and the astral dance which will face without flinching to the late percussions. It's the kind of interplanetary hymn where two lovers kiss each other on Mars at the end credits of a post-apocalyptic movie. The introduction, to say the least the arrangements, of Cruising Deep Space also exploits this dramatic film side with nice orchestrations which could give the goosebumps to the soul of any dreamer. Its structure evolves in rhythm with the support of a very good sequencing pattern which marks the tempo of a wood horses to whom we have gave the mobility of galloping. Intense with its striking and lively arrangements and with its sequences knit in fascinating tones. Tones which radiate throughout Mysteries of the Unknown and its structure which evolves like a cosmic electronic bolero. The rhythm always remains steady with a heaviness which resounds between this other excellent meshing of sequences and percussions, while the harmonies are divided between these sequences and chords of keyboards as fragile as a sleepy flute. The effect of riffs and of this wild heaviness is simply hallucinating and the synth solos are incredibly effective. Solos which are the last of the jewels of INTERPLANETARY; another strong album of Sayer who is second to none to offer this electronic cosmic rock adorned of renewal as much as in the structures as in the ambiences. Perfect for those eager of cosmic electronic rock with a vision of tomorrow!
Sylvain Lupari (July 14th, 2017) ***** SynthSequences.com Available at Sayer Bandcamp