The Abstract Observer - The Path Integral

 Released: July 1

The latest offering from anonymous experimental artist The Abstract Observer is a succinct yet beautiful collection of three motifs, all named in sequential order - Path A, Path B, and Path C. All three share an abstract quality that kind of reminds me of a potential soundtrack for No Man’s Sky with oblique melodies comprised of transcendental futurism adjacent synths and textures. There does not appear to be any progression across the album in whole, rather each track represents a separate and distinct piece with its only relation to the whole being that it is an alternative to the other pieces. 

Each track is strikingly different, with the first of these “paths” being something that is lighter, more vibrant, and meandering. It evokes a scenery of soft floating pieces of light, drifting on an unfelt breeze, endlessly shifting their position slowly and effortlessly. The second of these feels foggier, denser, but with those small bits of light poking through on occasion, evoking a sense of mystery and pursuit of it. This one is certainly more pad-driven and slower, though none are particularly fast either. But the pads do an excellent job of babying themselves as sort of clouds, obfuscating the brighter parts of the composition, and shrouding everything in a light colored haze. The final path feels like a partial callback to the first, utilizing light and plucky melodies that still play out in that slightly slanted or off-center way, placed in a echoey and cool space with little accompaniment. It is a rather intriguing journey, or rather, three possible journeys in a single experience.