Setting the tone with a psychedelic synthscape with cerebral nuance, Steve Sperry opens his album, Then and Now and Now Is Then, with a track called Flying Under the Ben Franklin. The piece expands with intricate textures, a pulsating beat, astral detailing and elegant, futuristic sound design to take us on a trip beyond this realm.
The fusion of cinematic elements immerse us further, and we are elevated into a hyperpop adjacent universe that we simply cannot get enough of. Flying Under the Ben Franklin flows cohesively into The Moon Room which gives an 8-bit vibe almost reminiscent of early Nintendo. We appreciate the lunar and melodic elements that he brings to life with his vision. The piece showcases ebbs and flows, with meditative elements which rebuild with intrigue and subversion to continue us on our journey though the psyche of the composer’s mindset. Fans of Daft Punk will no doubt be able to connect with the culmination of The Moon Room.
Next up is Bad Things Happen in Philadelphia, which opens with experimental subversion and breath-work that feels akin to ASMR in a digital dimension. This is followed by X Marks the Spot which showcases a pulsating beat and almost Eastern melodic detailing, with a Kanye West style vocal, giving 808s & Heartbreak on acid.
Needs and Wants brings us back to a more expansive sound as we feel a galactic yet Middle Eastern vibe with playful breath elements and nothing short of instrumental mastery – aligned with the wider body of work.
I’m Curious If You Can Tell Me What It Looks Like I’m Doing If You Have a Second showcases a more personal approach to songwriting, albeit equally philosophical. The auto-tuned vocals only add to the dimensionality and dynamic nature of the opus.
We learn that Steve Sperry, also known as Steve Smith, is a Biochemical Process Engineer by day and producer, by night. His intention is to bring an electric spectrum of synthetic soundscapes for our listening pleasure. He hails from the 609 area code, known as South Jersey to most.
The rising star tells us that he is “on a journey to push the limits of sound design, while maintaining a tangible subject.” He cites influences by house music and electronic music in general, and aims to bring us “the same feel of the melodic feels you experienced during the
early 2000s to now.” These references certainly come to life, but there is no doubt that the composer is creating a universe of his own.
This finally brings us to Million Dollar Scratchie which is track 7, striking us as numerologically aligned manifestation track. Signature cerebral vocal design loops as textures rise in the background with a synthetic and perfectly mixed bassline. We appreciate the intentional depth and the journey that Steve Sperry has taken us on and the psychedelic finale, bringing us full circle and ready to hit the repeat button on the album!