being the debut release from one of the ex-orbital brothers you may think you’d know what to expect for this beautifully packaged release.

in other words, lots of joyous technology music, consisting of a few looped vocal snippets, and a dancefloor throb.

thankfully, for a few tracks at least, these ingredients are provided and so the demands of the fans will be met.

however, there is a lot more to consider here, as paul has decided to step up, and really go for it with the whole electronic music vs orchestra thing.

of course, this means paul has run the risk of being accused of reviving the long lost form of orchestral prog-rock, but i would like to think he doesn’t give a toss, as the opening track, haven’t we met before, of this concise 40 minute album, takes the word excess and just rips up the rule book. massed choirs, full orchestra, and a heart stopping melody make this a stunning way to open the album, despite the concerns that this can at times sound like an updated modern take on a rick wakeman track. this instrumental epic is followed by one of the more straight ahead tracks, for silence with its delicate melodies and gorgeous female vocals perfectly settling the pattern of the album where half the album reconnects the love of orchestral instruments and techno, while the other half its about the craft of the pop song. guest vocals are provided by robert smith for the albums electro-pop highlight, please, joseph arthur on the gritty and somewhat out of place track, aggro, and akayzia parker for the brilliantly understated beauty of nothing else matters, that simply has to be lifted for a single, despite the fact that it’s probably too good for radio.

the vocal free tracks though are what are going to cause certain electronic dance fans to recoil in horror, as the marriage of traditional instruments and the trademark hartnoll production tricks makes for interesting listening that rarely threaten a dance floor. in fact, the mood is often downkey and restrained, so simple sounds gives an excuse to check out philip glass again as the minimal use of melody, and repetition suggests that paul has been checking out philips methods in the last few years, whereas the evocative atmosphere of the chamber quartet penguin cafe orchestra styling’s of the unsteady waltz would provide the perfect soundtrack to a cup of earl grey tea in betty’s cafe in picturesque ilkley, that or a merchant ivory period drama that has yet to be made.

for those that require a few more pounding beats, this album is not going to be on your lists, however, for those that like to hear genuinely beautiful music played on a combination of modern studio toys, interacting with pianos, strings, oboes, flutes, and yes, lots of those shiver up the spine inducing choirs, then the ideal condition could easily be your album of the year.

 

more detail : here