Something well worth setting the time aside to experience. Openly inspired by all manner of influences from the jungle to the video games Celeste and Horizon Zero Dawn, Kaleidanoyse V offers a brilliantly engaging, wholly immersive audio journey; with a captivating, provocative story at its core.
Kaleidanoyse V tells the tale of a plane crash landing in a relentless jungle, our hero then attempting to find his way out – meandering through various terrains, temples and mountain peaks. The music in itself is a refreshing joy to turn up loud, but to consider these details, the imagination of the producer, when listening, is to embark on a whole other journey.
Freefall kicks things off in an addictive, musically impressive fashion. Distorted synths warp and unite with rhythmically flawless details and progressions, enveloping listeners from the offset and creating a mighty sense of movement that quickly lifts the mood of the room.
As the project goes on, the production gets increasingly creative, yet professionalism and a clear understanding of music and how it works continue to lead the way. In The Lush, for example, pairs a manic beat with delicate waves of synths, to feel all at once artistic and blissfully satisfying. The project in full transports listeners to some other realm, heightening the energy and brightness of their current moment in a way that only finely crafted music truly can.
This addictive meeting between emotion and unpredictable creativity, amidst such musically enticing soundscapes, is what gives this whole EP such lasting strength. Overgrown, as an example, is completely unexpected, with its raw crackle and introduction, yet it sets the mood in a fascinating way – making it impossible to step out of the experience; overcoming any hint of desire to skip ahead. These hypnotic qualities stand tall regardless of the mood or intricacies of each composition, and that’s a rare and commendable trait.
Metal Temple is a soulful, joyful highlight for its sound play and ambient calm alike. The rhythm is once again addictive, the details unexpected and free from the confines of what you think you know about the project. The track even re-starts itself after the half-way mark, proving that nothing is as it seems; yet everything is relevant to this experience.
To The Peak injects a sudden house vibe with compressed drums and blissful synths alike. However loud you had the playlist already, it’s close to impossible not to crank up the volume even further as this one starts to rain down around you.
Starstruck mellows things out, reflective and gentle, leading with catchy little melodies and fragments or echoes of life and color. An ambient highlight for its suddenly calm, reverb-soaked embrace, and the mesmerizing nature of that driving riff.
At the final hurdle, Heavens is stunning – melodically engaging, building up slowly but with a powerful sense of rising anticipation. It’s somewhat melancholy, heartbreaking even, particularly with the connotations of its title and placement within the original story. Moments of minimalist simplicity contrast will fuller instances of progression to really keep your focus on the sounds, the stillness, and your emotions within it all.
Beautifully done, one of the most interesting and refreshing projects to emerge in quite some time. Creativity set loose, professionalism and skill fine-tuning the details. Well worth exploring.
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