LUNATICA

From the delightful land of central Asian land of Georgia comes this surprising electronic adventure, LaoZi is the brainchild of talented composer Sandro Tskitishvili. He prefers to concentrate on creating overt melodies instead of droning cyber noise that often sounds gratuitous and ultimately unsatisfying. "Lunatica" is his seventh release and my first introduction to his compositional style. What makes him somewhat different is the infusion of various elements such as symphonic stylings, dashes of classical music and electronic prog, as well as winks at relaxed oriental moods.

The tremendous "Set me Free at Midnight" opens the gates to a swirling expanse, gentle flute patches, slithering Moog synthesizer from guest Zozimo Rech and some spirited electric guitar from Dave Long. Sequencer-driven percussion gives this an Edgar Froese/Manuel Gottsching touch that scorches the perimeters of sound, a nice contrast between the gently scouring melodies and the intense soling that searches out the deepest horizons.

Entirely more pastoral and bucolic, the serene "23", flutters and saunters like some spring rivulet cutting through the underbrush, flavored by strong orthodox undercurrents and breezy enough to singe the borders of instrumental prog-folk. Gorgeous.

"Radiation" signals a more somber tone, the ominous choir/strings and distant funereal beat coalescing to exude a sense of impending doom, cast in a totally cinematographic form. The sudden intrusion of a ravishing melody gives the piece its charm, a thoroughly enjoyable listen. Crystalline and yet somehow fragile, the heartbeat pulse leads to some faraway emotion that embraces both sides of the spatial spectrum.

The shorter "Lightwalk" reverts to that flute synth that leads all other instruments in Sandro's arsenal. The zeal with which melodies are crafted becomes quite appealing, a deliberate intent on Sandro's part whose tastes are not limited to spacey electronics (he has informed me that he likes neo-prog band Silhouette a great deal, though the Dutch band is a way heavier breed altogether).

The epic finale that gives the album its title is a 13+ minute affair, punctuated by strong atmospheric content, a forlorn piano crying in the night sky. The pace is leisurely, unhurried and self-effacing, the focus fixed on expressing a desirable state of mind, a synthesized wind blowing gently in the background. The pearly piano glitters like mirrored tears, soothing and exalted. Highly original background music that may seem a tad fluffy and a tendency towards new age but the sheer quality of the melodies and a nuance of intricate composition make this a denser listen that will please the prog fan.

I look forward to investigate the previous releases and see just where and how this all started.

4 moon nuts