Lektroid returns with his first full length album, showcasing with 9 songs, the incredible talent this artist has to offer. A unique artist to say the least, Lektroid utilizes home-made synthesizers, as well as many classic vintage keyboards, which have helped to define his music as having a rich, classic synthesis sound, with mild old school Electro Funk influences, highly driven towards the future with a masterful fusion of the 80's sound, with 90's Techno and Rave music.
Bringing you "Electro-Funk Selection", the album might lead you to believe the album has a more retro feel, yet what you will find are innovative, and eclectic compositions, that, like mentioned before, bring together the past few decades of Electro music, into an incredibly well crafted collection of the many different styles the genre has to offer.
Starting things off with "Eta Carinae", the album opens up with a majestic and alluring beauty of a song, with mystifying melodic stabs that, together with the great use of reverb throughout the song, create a wonderful soundscape, full of spaced out sounds, 303s, and deeply intriguing pads. Next up is "Hydra", which picks up the pace, introducing hypnotic arpeggios, carefully filtered in gentle sweeps. A classic, and very energizing bassline kicks the tune into a funky groove, as female sampled vocals speaking of Extraterrestrial life deduce the theme of the track.
"Harmonix" begins to get its hands a little dirty with this apocalyptic, menacing tune, as high-powered distorted bass kicks pound the ground with no mercy. A Detroit styled bassline, coupled with the subtle use of the 303, is met by sweeping oscillations, while brooding pads create a dark and sinister mood. Next up we have a remix of "Solar Storm", which appeared in 2009, on the Streetsounds Vol. 2 compilation, this time reworked into a nice blend of Detroit, Miami, and old school Electro Funk influences, in some ways leaving many of the elements of the original somewhat intact, but shuffling stuff around a little to make things interesting.
Another tune included in this album which appeared on Streetsounds, this time on the Vol. 3 Electro compilation, was "Welcome To The Future", returning here as the original instrumental. Heavy percussive elements, ferocious bass pads, and deranged sequences come together as one to destroy any and all sound systems with high-magnitude sub-sonic vibrations, as bizarre vocals add some touch, and a little bit of intrigue. "Twice As Nice" keeps the malevolent vibrations running in the beginning, but begins to slow the tempo down a little, as the rhythm changes up into an almost dub-step like groove. Mystifying, yet gritty melodic stabs fade in, as a vibrant array of strings create a sultry backdrop, soon to be met by luminous arpeggios and sequences which throw this track into over-drive. A real nice tune this one, and a great companion for your car or club.
"Dreams", featuring Bryoney Love, continues the trend of dub-step rhythms, but pulls back on the crunchy, gritty textures found on the previous songs, bringing in much more lush synth lines, and gentle spaced out modulations, that turn this song into a majestic composition. Love's voice is a beautiful addition, adding a gentle, but somewhat mysterious vibe to the whole song, executed with care, and skill, effected in just the perfect way. "Decontamination Block" is another slow, melancholic song which starts off with delightful melodies, while quirky sounds compliment with a little complexity. About a quarter of the way through, the beat changes into a 4x4 beat, which adds to the eclectic nature of this album, and shows the versatility of the artist.
Last on this great collection of tunes, is "Lightspeed", which holds true to its name, as it kicks into high gear, with this spellbinding production. The melodies seem to almost play in reverse in the beginning, but create a very enigmatic mood, as frantic sequences join in, creating a relentless, and vivacious club banger with gleaming strings that cut right through your very soul. Albums that end in this way, are almost a bit torturous, leaving you in the dust craving for more; anything that can come your way to relieve the desire to continue with this fantastic joy-ride...but this is it for this one. Let's just wait to see what Lektroid cooks up next, since we know it will not just be as fascinating as this album, but better...much better! Stay tuned.
- Santino Fernandez
Source: TechnoBass.net
