Aera The Sound Path Permanent Vacation | The Electro Review

Aera
The Sound Path
Permanent Vacation
TBR: 6th April


Musical journeys come to their pinnacle with this wide reaching artist. Inspired from the entire shape of soft skinned electronic music, elements of genre sneak and stitch their way into inspired musings and mixes. Beautifully orchestrated and produced, with a refinement and flow that captures time taken and mountains climbed, The Sound Path is Aera's second album. It works with new ideas and on aspects from before to craft a bright new phase of comprehensive composition.


A combination of retro epic cinematica with soaring horn melodies introduces this peaceful work, To The Edge of the World is a beautiful capsule of slightly charmed emotive song. Wordless yet saturated with feeling, a distinctive sense of majesty is revealed. As The second track breaks, a blippy quick timed random inspired melody creates a bubbling effervescence which allows plunging synths to drive deep with hammered key strokes.


A Child's Dance progresses gently, with new drum tones enlivening the soothing rhythm ever so slightly and emerging bass swells causing the final bars to bring the heat down to low. As Flowers Under Water enters with a beautiful wobbling hum, a flurry of sparkling notes bring light to the piece and jumping playful phrases lay over the jolly and colourful drum and bass loops. Echoes and side to side phasing give the effect of submerged landscapes and the lively melodies do resemble the colour and delicacy of flower petals.


The pace quickens and a thumping 4 step beat takes the centre position which a lightly strummed instrument twangs deep and rich notes underneath the blanket. Synthesiser injections of tone come from the top and repeating phrases in key with the string sounds keep a high end rhythm. Logic and Kindness are probably two of the most important things we need to consider in any situation, and as a track title, it inspires philosophical mental soliloquies. The track peters out into abstraction before a catchy beat and pulsing tone pricks the ears.


With a dancing rhythm the progression takes a gear change and pushes the listener into a straight road drive-by full of passing trees, pillar boxes, and people walking their dog. Vocoder gives a lyrical channel an element of digital, melody in the voice brings a human taste yet the words are so crackled and metallised that it's difficult to distinguish them. Moving rhythms are joined by fast moving digital sounding scales and arpeggios that take a random walk around the main key. The high energy throb that hangs in the air like a self created orb of intent and potential gradually fades as the heartbeat rhythm of Distance Beyond slows everything down. Up and down licks on an electric piano are joined by rapid triangle sounds which make way for tubular bass notes which resonate and circle like low flying caramel buzzards.


Something more sparkly washes over the scenery with the onset of Looming Lights. Sunken depths of sunlit underwater grottos spring to mind as the twinkling notes froth around bass tones that jump like perspectives in moving water. Minimal sprinkles of sound adorn a deeper and full undertone which swivels and rotates on a grinding axis deep in the roots of the piece. Nostalgic melody from fruity synths rise like a dawn sunshine over awkward and interesting screws and twists that leap from various crevices of sound. Something like a distant cello creeps closer until its drawn notes break open to give a thumping and toe tapping beat.


May Your Heartflame Continue is a happy and inspiring track which has a crazy sounding submelody, icing the choppy and bass driven main body. Rhythm plays an important part, drum and bass infusions craft spiralling standing points for distinctive and oddly vibrant effects. Additions of flute bring a lovely warmth towards the end, as frozen glitches of electronic expression attempt to steal the show. All goes quiet for a sample, an emotional woman speaks before a pretty and haunting piece of music takes over. Dramatic runs of notes and droning grinds of bass amalgamate to form a slice of strange orchestrated beauty.


The mood is brought down to a new lighter pitch with the next number, All The Birds holds a dreamy sensation that is made even more apparent when the echoing reverb drums make their appearance. Melody in percussion gives a particular flavour, tribal feels and an alternative to other forms of melody, layers of rhythm bring new levels of meaning to the repeating tune. A smooth and cool addition with a twanging bass and riding synths underneath grant a background of big city lights and high end living.


As if all fades to night and darkness, the stars come out as a tambourine and wooden drum rhythm crests the airwaves. Stitch in Time takes us to a place of memory and hazy introspection. Chills and feels swing on neatly positioned ropes that allow graceful movement in and out of shadow. Smooth bass rhythms on drum and synth are joined by oddity and strangeness in the form of jumping treble end volleys of glassy sound. Energy is added and the music swells to a crescendo, all to gather in once more allowing final track Old Lighthouse to close the album.


The Sound Path is available to buy/pre-order from Amazon UK


And Amazon US