Human Concept - Iridescent Forever

Released: September 6

Inspired by the rediscovery of old film from a trip across western America, Iridescent Forever is a supremely serene little journey that is a bit of melancholy but also filled with a sense of mystique that permeates the whole album. Everything is tightly mixed and the scenes set but each track feel very real and grounded, which is something a lot of electronic albums don't get quite right, This album is tangible - it feels like it truly represents it's source material. The driving, the staring forward into the open road, the sights that take your focus from the road temporarily, and the navigating to the next place that often feels like aimless wandering. 

As I mentioned, the production on this rather is amazing, Light, airy, and immaculate synths pepper the album as drumbeats add a solid feel with somewhat familiar rhythms that add to the chill and mysterious vibe. Opening up with the one of the longer tracks on the album, " 4am Mono Lake, " we are given our introduction to the album with delightful deep basses grounding the sound while light percussion scatters about the the sound field in ways the seem random, but have a calculated purpose. Much of the album continues on this way with interesting moments spread about. 

One of the tracks that really stood out for me was "Aquarius Drive." The rhythm here seems to just about out of the safe zone and gives us something spaced out rather creatively. It feels as through the drums are moving around the outside edge of the stereo space with the rest of the tracks seemingly surrounded by the rhythmic devices. The lovely little piano riff also keeps things interesting and gives off a definite late 90s downtempo vibe and pushing into a cinematic territory.  But at its core, for me at least, this feels very much like a night driving album. The kind of thing you listen to late at night as you watch headlights move towards you and pass through the solid lights of urban sprawl. An absolutely wonderful album that I couldn't recommend more. 

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