Establishing the mood with a meditative and cinematic aura, Thomas Lemmer opens Dreamscapes II with a track titled The Light That Carried Us Through. The energy is cosmic and sublime, manifesting with zen and healing notions. The synthscape subtly undulates like light waves from the universe, building with additional layers creating a peaceful and spiritual tapestry of sound.
The production is refined and elegant, inviting introspection but also an empty mind, full of oneness. The track would be perfect for a Shavasana at the culmination of a yoga class. This leads us to The Stillness of What Once Was which opens with minimalist synths building with a crescendo and featuring astral motifs bringing to life a celestial melody that once again invites an expression of peace. At a time when we need it the most, Thomas Lemmer is delivering a piece of cohesive body of work that feels interconnected and intentionally created. This comes to life with a high emotional quotient and a cinematic allure that would make the track perfect for a movie like Interstellar.
Next is Weightless in a Sea of Light which manifests with more melodic depth with gated and echoing synth arpeggios. We learn that part of Thomas Lemmer‘s purpose is to help pioneer “the return of slow listening”, it is clear that Dreamscapes II does exactly this.
A Sky of Light, A Symphony Unfolding uses cerebral vocal synths that feel otherworldly, intertwined with elegant piano performances and an emerging 80s fuzz synth that creates dynamism which feels grounded and airy at the same time. It is clear that Thomas is tapping into each of the elements with this record that features undulating notions like waves and fiery motifs as well.
This brings us to Notes Left in the Quiet – In the Stillness of 2AM, which continues the meditative journey with an intimate and nocturnal quality akin to bell tones, which feels like a sound bath with delicate crystal frequencies. It also creates the sensation of being awake in the early hours when the world has fallen silent.
Among the Stars We Fade follows with an ethereal sensibility, tapping into the cosmic themes that bind Dreamscapes II. We appreciate how the compositions never feel rushed. There’s an 80s, 8-bit synth line here which feels futuristic, offset by the more ancient and meditative frequencies.
Next is The Silence That Holds Us which brings an especially profound sense of stillness, whilst The Sound of Letting Go feels like an emotional release with super cosmic, spacey, glitched details like a scene from The Fifth Element. There is a beautiful duality between these pieces, with Thomas exploring both the comfort of remaining present and the freedom that comes with releasing what no longer serves us.
A Memory Still Breathing feels like a scene from the movie Drive, whilst In the Quiet of What Was introduces a more nostalgic emotionality. The production here goes from dynamic to delicate restraint, but as always, there is considerable emotional depth beneath the surface. A Stillness That Echoes continues this exploration with the return of the piano, again materializing with cinematic allure like a Clint Mansell score with brooding strings.
We are particularly captivated by Their Voices Faded Into Light, which is a very yin expression, healing in its essence, and feeling like a portal to the astral realm. In the Fade of What Was feels like a cosmic ascension where the celestial atmosphere feels almost infinite. Finally, we experience the closing piece, Notes Left in the Quiet – A Conversation With Silence which feels like a gentle return to the album’s central philosophy.
For some technological context, Dreamscapes II combines high-resolution audio production with immersive Dolby Atmos technology. Thomas Lemmer composed, produced and mastered the album himself, using carefully layered piano, ambient textures, electronic elements and cinematic sound design. The Dolby Atmos version was developed in collaboration with immersive audio engineer Eric Horstmann, expanding the sonic architecture into a three-dimensional space.
The project also connects digital and analog technology through its visual identity, with original Polaroid photographs captured using double exposures and filters, then scanned in high resolution and digitally processed for the streaming, CD and vinyl artwork.
Needless to say, we are deeply enthralled by the universe of Thomas Lemmer. We have added various songs from Dreamscapes II to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst continuing to explore the wider discography of Thomas Lemmer.