Establishing the mood with intricate percussion, the subtle sound of chirping birds, string details and a dimensional nuance, akin to tripping into a spiritual dimension, Textbook Maneuver opens his debut album, Adrenaline Slip, with a track titled Birds, showcasing a psychedelic and industrial hybrid mood.
Cerebral synths and astral bells guide us further, with syncopated cymbal crashes, manifesting a sound design that feels cinematic and stimulating at the same time. The creative ebbs and flows are welcomed as the opus holds a transformative energy with an almost boundless 8-bit vibe at moment, having us feel like we are in a video game, at the same time as reminding us that our lived reality is indeed a simulation. There is an orchestral grandeur to the piece that comes through, and for the second half, the tempo shift feels high octane, guiding us swiftly into the rest of the dynamic record.
Next up is Murmur 1 Perfect Days which opens with a playful sentiment, once again bringing to life a high synth that feels 8-bit in spirit, accompanied by textured and humanised drums. We appreciate the fusion of organic with electronica, something that we learn is composer and electronic artist Michael Keane‘s forte and modus operandi.
This brings us to Ever Expanding Daze which opens with an ethereal yet brooding synth, percussive nuances, and cerebral samples, creating an immersive and dimensional soundscape with static detailing and a trippy and subversive overarching sentiment. The piece evolves with an almost spiritual melancholia, sharp synth riffs and the cinematic allure that feels apt for an avant-garde movie soundtrack.
Next up is the title track of the album, Adrenaline Slip. Michael tells us how the record is “engineered for immersive listening – ideal for headphones or long nighttime drives”, which feel is highly apparent with this standout track. The dynamism is refined and poetic, we are graced with a boundless energy that feels industrial and cosmic at the same time.
Treble Trouble Cathedral invites us into a more serene and meditative space with a transcendental organ performance – the most melodic moment in the album thus far. We are able to connect with the universe through the astral textures, and playful sound design, akin to a DMT experience! The composition takes on a spacey edge, blurring the lines between realities, and truly demonstrating the vast creative ability of the talented composer.
We then experience, Transition Metals, which feels sublimely intricate. It is evident that Michael Keane has fused his history with piano to create these incredible synth details with brooding bass notes and cute electronica details that have us feeling peaceful and stimulated at the same time. The almost EDM builds of the track is dramatic and cinematic – perfect for the score of a Hollywood movie like Drive.
Murmur 2 Corridors feels like an evolution within the album, reflecting its namesake predecessor, but taking on an almost darker tone. This again feels like a score for a movie. “These songs are my interpretation of what it might feel like to be suspended in space – doing something you love, while longing for Earth,” confesses Michael Keane. “Each section explores that tension through shifts in tempo, texture, and harmony.”
Next is Tell Them I’m Not Here, Still in Outerspace, which does exactly what it it says on the tin – it invites escapism and cements the astral nature of the record with cosmic synths, purring baselines and a minimalist yet dimensional evolution that musters up the longest track on the record.
Spacewalks slows the pace at first, but also showcases a build which allows us to connect with the celestial detail of what Textbook Maneuver has to offer with his refined and tasteful skillset. We feel transcendental, the cerebral high synth is almost enlightening. The rippling snares have a contemporary vibe, like a futuristic trap song in space. The final moments of the composition have a static sound which cements us in the astral universe that Michael is creating.
ReEntry feels like we might be coming back down to Earth. The energy of the synths feels like the sun, it feels like home. There is a higher octane, brighter vibe that transmutes. It is more emotive, in fact, it holds the highest emotional quotient on the album, inviting us to connect with our human form at the same time as reminding us of the epic beauty of the universe.
This leads us to Controlled Landing, which holds an iconic and grounding energy, in line with the concept of the album and where we are in space and time. The sonic intricacy with this one is mind bending, and we deeply appreciate the panning details and the masterful nature of what Textbook Maneuver is bringing to life with his skillset. Emotive in nature, we are back to where we belong.
This leaves us with the finale, Murmur 3 Home which feels bright and spacey, the sonic conclusion that we have been yearning for. It is techy in nature, like we have arrived at the ISS with boundless opportunities to inspire us to travel again, reassess the adventure that we have just been on, and focus on better understanding the cosmic through experience. With regards to the Murmur trilogy, described as “short standalone compositions that serve as atmospheric segues between major thematic movements.” Michael says, “I think of the Murmurs as meditative bridges. There are many more, and they’ll be part of every album going forward.”
As you can tell, we are in awe of the record as a whole, and cannot wait to experience it again, and listen to more of what Textbook Maneuver has to offer in the future. In the meantime, we have added ReEntry and the title track of the record to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and Birds to our TRIPPY playlist!