Pascal Gregory and his band Syngularity have been friends for a while. Each new album of theirs is full of inspiration and wonderful music that takes you away from life's every day cares and immerses you in spacey, dreamy synth and key rhythms. Ascendant is a new compilation of classic, unreleased and remixed Syngularity tracks.
This is another fantastic album of great tracks built on synth and key themes that is the perfect wake up or evening closer.
"Ascendant", the title track, opens with softly played bell like keys, while more keys and synthesizers are added little by little, before Chris Georgiou's weaving guitar, and then Marianne Vahl's beautiful voice take the sound even higher. This song is inspired by a combination of 'Blade Runner' and maybe Alan Parson's 'I Robot' effects. The perfect mix. Their original interpretation of these two master works is interesting and a wonderful mind stimulant.
"Para City" is full of interesting keys and synthesizer sounds built into rhythms and melodies which relax yet help stimulate the mind. This song has more of a piano like sound to it with sound effects added in to further add dimension to the sound.
"The Bite" opens with Maxine Young's synthesized voice over keys. Then Maxine's vocals can be heard singing along with the dancing keys and synths. Beautiful soft key and synth rhythms as Maxine warns, "But you don't know me".
"Calmless Sun" is another magical key and synth work with drum patterns.
"Shades of Waves" opens with the sounds of a car ignition before synths and keys bounce all over the place with the sound of glass bells. These bell like and tape rewind sounds are very cool effects.
"City Visions" is full of waves of keys and synths that take you through a modern city scape. Sounds of the street permeate the soundscape providing additional depth of perception.
"Number Systems" is like the famous song 'Hot Buttered Popcorn' set to a different melody with very nice keys. The sound just bounces all over the walls and windows perking up the pace of the whole album. Definitely my favorite.
"Children of Dune" opens with menacing deep keys before the softer mix enters the soundscape. More cool relaxing synths and keys. "Hyperion", features Minouche on keyboards. The song opens beautifully like a soft sunrise to warming key tones. Then it percolates with added guitar and soft drums.
"The Doppler Principle" opens with deep sliding key notes before the pitter patter of keyboard droplets begin falling like rain to an almost 'Halloween' themed synth and keyboard background. "The Eye of Orion" is filled with piano like keys mixing with dreamy synths and spacey rhythms for the longest track on the album.
"Plasmaniaxe" opens with deep synths and ominous, yet spacey keys.
Slow keys open "Northern Stars", like awakening from a dream state. The synths and keys build a rhythm and melody that is both comforting and mind stimulating.
The album cover and artwork by Josephine Morkeberg, is like all of Syngularity's covers, very unique and mind bending.
Track Listing
1. Ascendant (feat. Marianne Vahl and Chris Georgiou) (5:38)
2. Para City (4:04)
3. The Bite (feat. Maxine Young) (5:54)
4. Calmless Sun (4:45)
5. Shades of Waves (4:34)
6. City Visions (5:22)
7. Number Systems (6:19)
8. Children of Dune (4:30)
9. Hyperion (feat. Minouche) (4:44)
10. The Doppler Principle (4:12)
11. Eye of Orion (6:39)
12. Plaxmaniaxe (3:39)
13. Northern Stars (5:49)
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