Solarstone - .—-

‘. – – – -’ begins in a manifestly cinematic style, with ‘Leap Of Faith’s cursively sweeping synths and analogue/sci-fi-esque FX. Complete with its narrative-style vocal, over seven minutes ‘Leap’ develops into a pulsating, absorbing slice of deep space prog-trance. Right behind it comes the shimmering intro pianos of ‘Eclipse’. With a neat sleight of studio hand however, they preface a moodier, more brooding sonic underbelly. Its prowling tempo & tone, low-end bass resonance and sleekly minimalistic physique cast the album’s shadows’ long.

Through ‘Untitled Love’, vocals make their first appearance on ‘. – – – -’ … and in some extraordinary fashion. The track – a collaboration between Rich and Stockholm-based duo Rabbii – features Jo from the band’s bittersweet vocal & lyrical edge. (Tonally, Bjork comparisons are inevitable, so we’ll get those out there now.) Having previously teamed up on 2011’s  ‘Breakaway’, ‘. – – – -’ sees Rich reunite with US singer Alex Karweit, who brings an indie-rock-ish lean to ‘Choosing His Angels’.

Re-acquaintances don’t end with Karweit and ‘Choosing His Angels’. ‘. – – – -‘ also sees Solarstone and sonic soul-mate Orkidea reconvene to brilliantly continue their ‘Slowmotion’ odyssey. Again cast from a classically progressive sound-set, the charged, resolute drums of ‘Slowmotion IV’ beat the path to its captivating mainline chime and hymnal vocal harmonies. More vocal esoterica follows from Meredith Call on the soon-to-be-single ‘I Found You’. Current outing – the (per Dancing Astronaut) “ethereal”, “timeless” (DJ Mag) ‘A State Of Mind’ takes its position in the latter stages of the album. Closing ‘. – – – -’ in genuinely epic fashion are the arcane breakbeats and swirled atmosphere of ‘Cafuné’. Its drop delivers a gradually unfolding sunrise of empyrean strings, quixotic vocals and cyanic synths.         

 ‘. – – – -’ is out today and available to purchase/listen to, all accessible via this link: https://blackhole.choons.at/solarstone Oh, and if you’d like a further clue as to ‘. – – – -’s grander plan, our handy Morse code link translator will surely offer you a great, big, whacking one!

Tracklist

01. Leap Of Faith (7:02)
02. Eclipse (6:03)
03. Untitled Love (with Rabbii) (5:21)
04. Choosing His Angels (with Alex Karweit) (4:41)
05. Slowmotion IV (with Orkidea) (6:44)
06. I Found You (with Meredith Call) (5:11)
07. A State Of Mind (7:30)
08. Cafuné (8:00)

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