de antiquis et novis shines bright with new album entitled 'Afterglow'

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FEATURED ARTIST

de antiquis et novis

Munich, Germany

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AFTERGLOW

REVIEW

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#Afterglow is a 10-track album that dives headfirst into cinematic soundscapes through electronic and synthpop compositions. If you're looking to chill out, the frequencies here are certainly aligned for just that! The first track jumps straight in with the title piece. Over 7 minutes in length but never boring #Afterglow implements both dark elongated sounds with the brightest of choppy melodic synth and clear basslines. The vocals here are smooth and become a part of the soundtrack rather than taking over completely in lyrical content. This piece had me visualising the desert and the night sky. The string synths give the track a hint of an Arabian feel without actually being played in a classic Arabian way. Whereas the remainder of the synths offer a choppy and futuristic element to a piece that therefore makes me envision Sky and Sand. #WhatDoYouDo? develops quite quickly. The speed at which the layers come in makes it very clear that there are a lot of them. The listener gets to hear all of those layers in 0 - 100 which magnifies their presence. Imagine a slow-burning piece - You know that the layers are building but it's done so slowly that you can sometimes miss the importance of each element and how they progress the sound of the track. This piece is skillful and opens in juxtaposition. The steadiness of the drums offers something familiar, and something to rely on throughout the track. Again, the artist makes use of the space to create a piece that sets the scene for earth and sky. One thing that I would say is that bearing in mind the length of the track, the components remain on loop - I was waiting for a little something to come in and break that cycle considering the length of the track. Overall, this is a nice piece that hypnotizes the listener.. #DeepBlueOcean begins with samples of the sea - not physically but sonically of course. An airy backdrop with heavy bass and cinematic synth builds the listener's anticipation as they slowly progress. A lot of visualisation is left to the imagination of the listener here. Delayed synths offer a dreamscape vibe and as the sounds of the ocean begin to fade into the mix a replacement synth holds the space a replacement. The effects of this synth are choppy but not staccato. This allows for the feel of the waves to remain dominant in the track as the actual wave sample lingers in the background. #HangontoYourDreams (Chillout Version) continues the feel of the previous track and adds native elements. The drums here are quite tribal and the synths give the track a Native American influence. This is a track that mixes the speed of percussion with the sensuality of windpipes to create something both upbeat and relaxing. #Bruises brings something relaxing yet slightly haunting to the conclusion of the project. The remaining tracks on the album comprise radio edits of the tracks that we've heard already on the album as well as a Remix version of #Calm.

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