I never though that my past reviews of obscure French electronic bands would ever cause me to receive a wonderful review request from faraway New Zealand (only that distant because East Coast Canada would be the antipode of the Maori homeland). Touched by the gesture and the kind comments about my appreciation for Space, Paris-France Transit, Rockets, Didier Marouani, Space Art etc… I gladly obliged and immediately waived my self-imposed rule of never reviewing EPS, which I can selectively relinquish since there is no overseeing corporate entity controlling my life. The musician behind this project is Eli Moore and he handles all the electronic instrumentation displayed and in an apparent desire to create warm eloquence as opposed to mechanical precision, the seduction comes rather easily.
The five tracks are finely chiseled, unpretentious mini-musical essays that never overstay their welcome, establishing the inherent mood rather quickly, with a clear dedication to organic melody instead of clanging industrial machinery. Case in point on the breezy opener “Wizarding” which, contrary to its title, stays away from sequenced procedural noise, preferring amore natural flow.
The same principle applies on the swooning “First Flight”, a robust take-off before blooming into relatively complex arrangement where the lead synthesizer line functions a soaring eagle, floating free in the sky and adventurous. There is a subtle jazzy feel, something I detected also on Geoff Downes’ 1986 classic New Dance Orchestra release The Light Program, a personal iconic album that is still revered in the Prog Rogue studio. This impression will linger way beyond the last note played here. I hope my assumption is correct.
“Into Atlantis” and “What If All Your Dreams Came True?” both serve to stamp golden stars onto the package, the interloping bass synth patterns joyfully tangoing with the lead spirals, the percussive synthetics as discreetly natural as inhumanly possible, all becoming clear clues of well-thought-out compositions that stand the test of repeated listens.
Naturally, the longest and best track is the finale ,“Stefanie” gloriously bathes in synthy bliss, with a vast arsenal of silky leads, the sinuous bass indicating the path ahead, with an inclination winking admiringly at the late Jaco Pastorius. The only criticism is that I could have easily digested another 40 minutes of this, without the slightest hesitation or desire to fetch my phone or computer.
In closing, there must be many hundreds of electronic prog albums in my collection, some very well known, that do not come close in enjoyment to what is on display here. I was frankly quite enamored by the quality.
As some British kid called Oliver once blurted out famously, “Can I have some more , please?”. Or rather, Moore please!
4 pouch sizes