Setting the tone with a bold, psychedelic and immersive soundscape, Eldon Loblein opens Chrysanthemum with an expansive, detailed and dimensional energy, and needless to say, we are in awe.
The sound design features textured intricacies, glitched nuances, astral operatic vocal detailing, a subversive bassline, luscious bells, and more, creating a cohesive tapestry of sound of high concept electronica.
Rippling, cerebral elements catch our attention, whilst the high octane drum and bass adjacent overarching sound takes us on an evocative, and somewhat transcendental journey. The composition showcases refined ebbs and flows, and cute synth elements that are akin to tripping into an alternate dimension.
Speaking frankly on his art and the intention of the opus, Eldon Loblein confesses, “The music incorporates heavily-layered sound design, and arranged strings. It avoids formulaic beats and samples, instead building sounds from the ground up. The sounds serve as ‘threads in a cloth’, moving in tandem but often preventing any one voice from taking center stage.”
The self-realized artist adds, “There are few artists bridging the gap between sound design and orchestral pieces. With the number of tools at our disposal, one would expect that anything imagined can be created in the audio environment.”
We appreciate the dynamic energy conveyed, and how no moment is repeated, instead the composer keeps us enlightened throughout, yearning for more. Just as well, as the release also features two more tracks!
Moon Milk holds a similar energy with an immersive and dynamic synth protagonist, whilst Vespers opens with enigmatic keys and cosmic sounds to create a cinematic vibe with a more experimental nature.
Elaborating on each individual composition, the visionary composer tells us, “Chrysanthemum attempts to bridge the gap between drum and bass and orchestral sounds. Moon Milk was inspired by Italo Calvino’s The Distance of the Moon, using vintage recorded elements to evoke images of space, time, and gravity. Vespers is a melancholic meditation; inspired loosely by religious iconography and gilded forms.”
We appreciate the depth and unique identity of Eldon Loblein‘s art, and learn that the composer from Maine cites influences including Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Amon Tobin, Björk, and Hans Zimmer, although there is no doubt that Eldon Loblein is creating a refined and surrealist universe of his own.
We have added Chrysanthemum to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream Eldon Loblein‘s wider discography including his EP, Mechanical Sea.