I’ve been loving the pieces residual energy boss has released over the past year, starting with the lovely i talk to myself. His work is continually evolving, exploring new spaces, and building sonic worlds that take me into unexpected places. On his latest, the star gazer, the cosmos are drifting apart and the simultaneous beauty and horror of the cracks in the sky come into focus.
The title track is built around a mesmerizing loop that sounds like church bells on an alien planet blasted through a wormhole. residual energy boss layers synthetic exorcisms, driving forward a loose melancholy that tries to take root, but ultimately falls apart into a cascade of electronic detritus. “sirius” opens the release as a transitional space into his cosmic dreams with synths shining like glass stones, shooting prismatic shards into all directions; it’s calming without being pastiche.
Obliterating the pastoral vibe almost immediately, “green meteor (2am remix)” is machine-like, etching fake memories into permanence, angular tones grinding out a foothold for fear and desolation to latch. “green meteor (2am remix)” is harsh without being extreme and each listen reveals more. It’s a fantastic track. Closer “XO-5” gives off the return vibe of “sirius,” the wobbly aural palette wrapping itself around screaming synths like a parasitic trap door straight back to the hell world we all inhabit. the star gazer is a heady journey into multifaceted universes beyond. Sound is an escape hatch, especially when everything around is on fire and residual energy boss continues fueling the journey outward.
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