Lowlight 2 - Strawberry Station (Review)

 

 What are we  t a l k i n g  a b o u t ?

Lowlight 2 by Strawberry Station is a cross-genre stroll through a field of audio nostalgia. It was recently released on cassette tape through the highly eclectic vaporwave label Business Casual (only a few left ATM!). From synthpop to nu disco to plunderphonics, this album definitely takes you on a trip through a variety of spunky subgenres.

Strawberry Station is a future-funk project that takes inspiration from some of the classics such at Saint Pepsi and other FF veterans. More recently they have been heavily influenced by the likes of Mr. Wax and Snowdream to incorporate more aspects of house and electronica.

Lowlight 2 was a pandemic creation for SS. The decision to go in a more synthpop direction was made from the beginning by SS. They decided future funk simply was not their musical language of choice to convey the effect lockdown had on them. This brought about a more introspective approach for Lowlight 2.

The LP was made in FL Studio and is about 95% sample-free (with the exception of a few dialogue clips from an Anime called Kodocha). 

The most unique aspect of Strawberry Station's latest release is the inclusion of (drum roll) lyrics. The lyrics make this album a very unique and reflective one. The inclusion of lyrics helped to bring out the feelings of isolation, FOMO...as well as more positive messages: acceptance, hope and a positive outlook for the funky future. 

(((p l a y  BY  p l a y)))

We start out with the opening song Stay Strong. We begin...floating through plucky polysynths, cheeky cartoon quotes and bubbling pads. This blanket of sound drops us in a key I was not expecting. We get a sense of momentum...and it just sounds like someone is...breaking the rules. :)

Then come the vocals...such a welcomed entity in this style of music. SS builds a superb wall of vocal harmony (sometimes using other-worldly parallel motion). The vocal intricacies really are the icing on the cake for this tune. It gives us, the listener, a clear picture of what we can expect for the rest of the album.

Next up is Comeback Kid. And I can't help but hear, "Harder, better, faster...stronger." The Daft Punk roots are incredibly clear with this tune. Auto-tuned harmonies painted with a nice, springy reverb bounce around in the sonic space like frogs exchanging lily pads. 

The two words that come to mind are: virtual reality. It feels like we're dancing inside a computer. The computer runs MS-DOS. Also, that bitcrushed drum really brings the whole "computerized" vibe to life. 

Following Comeback Kid is Bright Side. We start off with a swirling stratocaster loop followed by some straight ahead hi-hats and a kick and snare to simulate a cut time vibe for a total of 5 seconds before all percussion is stripped away and we are reintroduced to SS' angelic vocals.

What is really driving about this song is the mantra, "Look on the bright side." We'll hear more of this later. There's good ol' SS nudging us on the arm and reminding us of those rose colored glasses musicians threw on back in the roaring twenties...those glasses that help us see the silver lining. Yes, you CAN make gin in your bathtub!

Stay With Me throws a blanket of pads over us and lights up the fireplace. The billowing white noise crashes and fades away. Around 30 seconds in, we hear remnants of that cheeky anime dialogue from before. Quarter notes pulse around like frantic fireflies. A collage of serene voices paint hypnotic pictures in our minds. 

The spoken word section in this piece is truly magical.

Filling The Gaps is the the shortest tune on the album. It quite literally fills the gaps, providing a moment of preparation before our big interlude. SS pulls off a few musical magic tricks in this short ditty, shortening a few 4/4 bars into 2/4 bars. 

The true interlude on the album is entitled Things You Can't Fix. Some rugged bass and some room reverberated rhythm guitar battles with hand drums and some more high-energy Anime quotes. 

"There's no point worrying about the things you can't fix!" 

My Oh My is my favorite track on the album. The stereo spread on those introductory guitars is huge. Throw those drums down the middle, and there's a dance party in my air pods! When those vocals come swooping in, I get vague hints of Owl City mixed with Motion City Soundtrack and New Found Glory. I see Carson Daly hosting TRL. I see pop punk band guitarist number 3 spinning around to their delight as much as the strap locks allow. 

The SYNTH SOLO on this track is stellar. 

Yes, No, Maybe comes flying in with some in and out-of-tune arps and some more happy-go-lucky dialogue. This tune also features a very enjoyable little chiptune solo that I find just lovely. 

At the drop of this tune, we see the lights go out on a million ravers and nothing but glowsticks bouncing around on bodies. Waves of harmony fill the room as the song fades back to that initial in and out-of tune arpeggio. 

Next up is See the Sunrise. This is a collaborative track with Phaun. What we get is a near Celtic jig vibe that continues throughout the entirety of the song. It honestly sounds like a reel is playing through MIDI patches. It's like nothing I've heard before. The kick and snare is nice and snappy. When we hit the chorus, we hear hints of Depeche Mode. SS and Phaun have done a fantastic job incorporating a vast mix of artists into their collaborative creation.

Another killer solo on what sounds like a Moog, pitch bend and all...so great. 

We are approaching the end as Peace begins. Twinkling piano keys, stringy pads...in come the vocals.

I'm at peace...in my mind. 

An Imogen Heap style vocal wall is mixed with reggae-ton style fills and a super funky drum beat. 

SS ends the album with the tune Bright Side (Reprieve). 3-part harmony is a beautiful addition to our big finale. Vocals begin to ping-pong off each other as they appear to melt away.

The lyrical mantra to end the album:

We can't erase our past. It's a losing game.

So transparently positive; something the world needs right now. 

B O T T O M  L I N E . E X E

Lowlight 2 by Strawberry Station is an optimistic, endearing nu disco/synth pop opus that is most definitely worth a listen or five. 

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The LP was released by Business Casual virtually as well as on cassette (not many left!). You can purchase the album at (https://music.businesscasual.biz/album/lowlight-2). 

There’s M O R E!

Strawberry Station recently performed their first IRL show in nearly two years in Toronto with Kawaii Bass at See-Scape. 

You can check out their set during Homesick FM's Halloween show Homesick Halloween (Oct 1-3 and 8-10 on Twitch). 

Illuminations - FM Skyline (Review)

 What are we  t a l k i n g  a b o u t ?

Illuminations by FM Skyline is a nostalgic, bold MIDIwave album recently released on vinyl, CD, cassette as well as virtually through the beloved and legendary vaporware label, 100% Electronica.

After a chat with the artist behind FM Skyline, Pete, I learned quite a bit about what made Illuminations the musical giant that it is. 

FM Skyline is a producer/composer with a true eclectic taste for all things musical, pulling inspiration from the likes of Debussy to classic Sega Genesis soundtracks. Mix that with a strong admiration for vaporware veterans such as James Ferraro and Vektroid, and you’ve got a guaranteed trip down memory lane whenever you turn on an FM Skyline album. 

(Satie + VGM + plunderphonics = audio bliss)

Pete was very generous to share with me a bit about what was going on with them personally while writing this album. They unfortunately lost a dear friend at the beginning of the writing process, and obviously that put the writing on pause. They mentioned the difficulty of attempting to create while going through such a tragic loss. Later as they were finishing up the album, life got in the way even more. All that being said, there is a reason or two why this album is so emotionally filled to the proverbial brim, Pete had a ton going on. However, they have managed to create something beautiful out of a truly heart-breaking situation.

When I first began listening to vaporwave, Pete was one of my biggest inspirations, being that they also create non-sample-based vaporware. Another thing that I admire about Pete is their use of one synth on an album. They mentioned to me that the majority of the harmonic and melodic content on this album was created from a hardware synthesizer: the Yamaha SY55, a sample-based synth from the early 1990’s. 

(((p l a y  BY  p l a y)))

Before I dig deeper into this album, it must be noted that the format of this album roughly represents that of an opera (including a prelude, overture and intermezzo). FM’s cultured sense of musicianship peppered throughout the album adds to their album’s sense of inclusion. It’s so wonderful how accessible this album is for any type of music lover, not just in the vaporware scene. While the majority of FM’s music sends me to my childhood memories, looking at the track list sent me back to Senior year of high school back in the early 2000’s when I was taking an opera history class. :)

All that being said, let’s dig into it. 

We start off with a beautiful song titled Prelude. We are initially lulled into a hypnotic, barebones waltz (3/4: a time signature very rarely heard in electronic music). This use of an uneven meter gives us a sense of rocking back and forth, constantly hitting the strong beat on a different side each measure. It also harkens back to the classical roots we see in the titles. Prelude is a charming, harmonic dance between major and the relative minor hinting at themes of despair, triumph and everything in between. Buried overtones in the MIDI patches rise to the surface.

This is also one of the tunes that uses one of my personal favorite jazz devices: the 2 5 1 (borrowed or diatonic), a device used across the board from all jazz artists from Count Basie to John Coltrane. We’ll return to the topic of John Coltrane later, when we talk about Harlequin.

The next track, Overture begins with flange-filled and washed out drums. They gradually come flying toward us as we enter a vapor biome I’ve never heard before. Plucky basses bounce past as wailing pads come soaring by, hitting me in the face. It doesn’t hurt though, feels good. Pan flutes arpeggiate and pulse as they weave in and out. As the warm, sentimental musical layers get stripped away, those wailing pads stick around to welcome me to this new, inebriated world of nostalgia and joy.

Next up is the tune, Veranda. Bells: good to see/hear you! A welcomed entity to any FM Skyline composition is some bright bells with some wistful overtones. 

Listen, this song is a vibe. It’s also my favorite track on the album. It’s also my favorite track in Pete’s discography. Pete has done some amazing harmonic work, laying down a beautiful chord progression. 

I actually took the time to transcribe the progression at the piano. 

The initial vamp is: 

Am7 Bbmaj9 

Starting out on the iii chord. Love it. 

There is an incredibly heartwarming 251 from the borrowed IV key at 1:22 and 2:29 that is teased throughout the song through this progression:

Am7 Bbmaj9 Gm7 Am7 Dm7 [Cm7 F7] Bbmaj7

Possibly one of the most beautiful chord progressions I’ve heard in the vaporwave scene. This is just solid composition. 

This song really does a lot for me. I hear old Sega Genesis with Art Blakey on Drums and Victor Wooten on bass. But those 251s, they give me a yearning for Saturday morning cartoons in the 90’s. 

Makes me want to pick up the phone and order Nickelodeon magazine, PLEASE!

Following Veranda is another one of my favorites, the wandering, Harlequin (another dramatic reference, this time to the Italian commedia dell’arte). The harlequin is a stock comedic character from the 17th century art form. 

We’ve got another unique chord progression in this tune. I am officially categorizing this tune as the “Giant Steps of Vaporwave.” For any of you not familiar with jazz, John Coltrane took the original changes penned by George Gershwin, “Rhythm Changes” and adapted them into his own set of changes that take a wild ride through a variety of keys. Even the most veteran jazz players sometimes struggle to keep up with Giant Steps being that improvising over it is basically a constant theoretical nightmare as you attempt to find chord tones within the rapidly changing keys. 

FM Skyline has created an incredibly rambunctious and meandering chord progression that gives off a subtle comedic vibe. It remains wistful (in line with the album), however that wandering harmony gives us a sense of adventure and fun. 

I tried my best not to ask Pete about the chord progressions, trying to figure it out myself. 

What I heard was:

Bbm7 Dbmaj7 Gbmaj7 Fmaj7 Dbmaj7 Eb. 

The Fmaj7 Dbmaj7 and Eb all in a row really messed with me, in a great way…especially coming off a Gb major chord. It’s very reminiscent of the overloaded major chord section of The Beatles’, A Day in the Life. 

There’s a reason this song was released prior to the album as a single. It’s incredibly unique being that it gives the listener a serene, fun sonic soundscape to run through. 

Next, we bring the mood to a darker place with the tune, Shadow: the new age Lavender town theme. Hints of evil and deception are peppered throughout. Drums and percs are introduced as we transfer seamlessly into the song, Spectre.

This song is very reminiscent of a few tracks off of Pete’s album liteware. The Inverted seventh chord arpeggios are so reminiscent of 90’s jazz fusion. The bells take the lead on this tune. 

As we reach the midpoint of the album, it’s clear Pete paid a lot of attention to make sure the album was filled with a variety of tempi, just like an opera or a musical: ballads, comedic songs, up-tempos. The analogous draw to theatre is so intriguing. 

Things slow down even more as the song, Intermezzo begins. Oh my…the gated drums on this tune. I thought I was listening to the Seiken Densetsu 3 soundtrack by Hiroki Kikuta. I immediately wanted to pick up a controller and start slaying rabites. 

This song also contains another one of my favorite MIDI patches: the FM horn. Pete makes sure to give those horns lots of TLC by adding vibrato as well as some pitch bend. The pan flute and low marimba bassline add to that “Mana” vibe even more. 

Around halfway, we’re even introduced to some throwback TR-808 percs: *chef’s kiss.*

Veil starts up our presumed next act. A gorgeous chord progression is thrown our way on the electric piano. Right away, we hear some more drums with phaser? Maybe flanger? Hard to tell, but it gives us that “wavy feel.” The drums swirl around my head like the friendliest, most patient vultures on planet Vapor. We’ve even got some tremolo/noise gate on the keys!

About a minute in, we hear a pleading, bendy guitar solo. It reminded me Steve Howe ripping a guitar solo on the Relayer album. 

This song is also different in that it seemingly has an AABA form. There is a mysterious bridge section with tons of downward building momentum. 

Next up is, Simulacrum. It features one of my favorite features of Pete’s music: in and out of tune pads…they ebb and flow like the tide on a vapor beach. Throw in a seemingly reverberated Seinfeld slap bass and some electric piano, and you’ve got vapor gold. We are then introduced to some throwback percs reminiscent of N64’s Goldeneye. I want to say Grant Kirkhope used these percs in the Facility level (around the 2:30 mark). 

Following Simulacrum is Classique. This song has a SPICY snare. We feel like we’re zooming down Ocean Drive in Miami in a convertible in 1991, hair blowing in the wind. Well, I’m bald. But, you get the idea. There’s another fantastic solo on this tune. 

Luminaire has some more in and out of key pads. We’ve also got some percs with a massive amount of stereo width that make me feel like I’m sitting in a huge concert hall. Over to the left, I hear some bitcrushed arps along with some cheesy MIDI guitar. The good cheesy though. 

Orb is also decorated with fantastic throwback MIDI leads bouncing around. I’ve been listening to this one in the car. The kick KICKS on this one. As Pete begins to bring the album to a close, the drums get pulled as we prepare for the final track, Rêve.

Rêve also contains those same type of bare, simple chords from the introductory song. However, we are now in common time (rather than 3/4). This is such a spectacular way to close out the album, such a sense of finality. 

We finish out the album with white noise…as if a radio show just ended. 

Curtain.

B O T T O M  L I N E . E X E

Illuminations by FM Skyline is a harmonically-packed, joyful romp through a variety of musical genres. It is definitely one of my favorite all-time vaporwave albums.

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The LP was released by 100% Electronica virtually as well as on vinyl, CD, and cassette. You can purchase the album at (https://fmskyline100p.bandcamp.com/album/illuminations). 

There’s M O R E!

If you’re interested in checking out FM Skyline live, they will be headlining the second night of 

Pudinapalooza on Sep 24th (hosted by 100% Electronica). You can check out the link below to purchase tickets. The first night (9/23) will feature other acts such as: Negative Gemini, Caroline Loveglow, Glume and John Bryars. The second night (9/24) will feature, Equip, CD Ghost as well as a few DJ sets by George Clanton throughout the night! 

(https://dice.fm/event/7v8yp-fm-skyline-album-release-equip-cd-ghost-george-clanton-dj-all-night-24th-sep-el-cid-los-angeles-tickets)

FM Skyline will also be playing in their hometown of Richmond Virginia on October 2nd with Vaperror, Trapcry and Archangel. 

(https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vaperror-fm-skyline-trapcry-archangel-at-black-iris-102-tickets-171317975677?aff=ebdssbdestsearch)

omni - secretflowers (Review)

 What are we  t a l k i n g  a b o u t ?

omni by secretflowers is an explorative, atmospheric piece of ambient vapor recently released on cassette by the prolific and elusive label, Global Pattern.

Created from tape loops and samples along with processed guitar and keyboard layers all on a Tascam 4-track, secretflowers has designed a work of imaginative audio escapism. 

After speaking with secretflowers more in depth, they explained to me that escape was in fact the driving force behind the project. What was originally an escape mechanism for personal use quickly blossomed into a fully formed musical passion project. 

omni was recorded as part of a livestream with Prekursor and was looped and improvised in real-time. The versions that became the final album were slightly embellished edits based on the live mix.

The original live stream: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp4hoH-3gwY&t=2815s

Passion for the concept of sound manipulation (specifically the degradation of imperfect, dying technology) is another driving force behind secretflowers’ latest album. As I attempted to transcribe some chord changes within songs, I noticed some songs were between keys. 

A good example is in the song These Things Happen. At the beginning, we are covered by an ethereal blanket of major seventh chords, seemingly between the key of A and Bb major. It seems the degradation of loops has brought us to a key that is warped a quarter tone between the keys, creating a vamp of A(.5)major7 to C(.5)major7!

So many beautiful and unusual artifacts are created from this use of “dying technology” used in present day. That is the charm and allure of the album.

(((p l a y  BY  p l a y)))

We enter a large lecture hall, dusty desks, creaky chairs, scratched-up blackboard. We turn on an old, busted up radio and are gradually welcomed by crescendos of angelic, flapping pads, breathing and pulsing from ear to ear. 

Eventually, the warm harmonic environment expands into something much larger than life. The song, “System Analysis” comes to a close.

Next up is, “Nebulous.” I have one word to describe this track: meditative. This song is decorated with beautiful, celestial pads that illuminate the sonic space in a near-godly way. 

As the pads fade to nothingness, some radio transmission obscures the previously established meditative state and brings us into our first melancholic soundscape, my favorite track on the album, “These Things Happen.” 

A sublime layer of processed guitars and keys wash over the listener like a warm bath. There are a few tracks on the LP that have a sense of “danger" (this being one of them). This track’s use of borrowed chords definitely helps to illustrate that sense of abandonment and wickedness that occasionally pervades over the purity that fills the track to the brim. It also unknowingly gives the listener a non-Westernized harmonic source (being in between keys and all), so even if you're not realizing it, these tones are all brand new to you. 

This hybrid mix of emotions persists throughout the album.

We are then transported to, “Crystal Beach.” It feels like it may be a tad too cold to go swimming. We close our eyes, sit down on the sand and listen for that distant ebb and flow of the waves as they crash on the shore. 

After a quick trip to the beach, we enter the ritualistic world of the track, “Cleansing.” This track also brings about a sense of trouble. Strangely enough though, it also evokes feelings of warmth, romance and mystery. The strands of harmony unravel and we are met with raw musical emotion. This track really sent me somewhere special. 

“In Time” brings us back to those decorative electric keys from track 3. As birds create a migratory V formation in the sky, we walk down a foggy boardwalk on a chilly afternoon. Birds bicker as they attempt to keep the V intact. 

For any 90s kids, this song is incredibly reminiscent of a song from Super Mario 64’s underwater level titled, “Dire Dire Docks,” (a prominent OCRemix cover song). As we hear kids skipping rocks, we are brought back to a place of nostalgia, a place of peace.

Next up is, “Soul Transcends.” We begin with a gentle pan back and forth as we enter a massive amphitheater to listen to a serene anthem of yesterdays and tomorrows. 

The tail end of the album is incredibly emotional. In fact, I closed out my second listen-through with a box of tissues. 

The next track is titled, “Blind,” and it turns off the lights.  Completely. The ornamented afternoon sky goes dark, and something is not right once again. 

A faint flicker of light appears in the distance and friendly apparitions hover around the room as we listen to, “Just a Ride.”

The sun rises as, “Hope This Lasts” begins. As this track starts, we witness a huge blast of light as the sky turns bright pink and we are finally propelled into the final track, “Complete Restore,” a marvelous, pulsing depiction of a warm Spring morning. As the sound fades away, we are left with a sense of calmness, completeness and finality. 

B O T T O M  L I N E . E X E

omni by secretflowers is a sincere and bountiful ode to all those who stacked the musical blocks in a more obscure fashion in the past. It is most definitely worth a listen and purchase!

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The LP was released by Global Pattern virtually as well as on cassette. You can purchase the album at (https://globalpattern.bandcamp.com/album/omni).