aaamusic | On 12, Dec 2013

It seems like it was only yesterday that I was writing about lead single ‘The Dodecahedron’ and now I’m writing about the whole Red Falcon EP. What Memory9 has crafted here, is a masterclass in electronic music composition.

Each of the four tracks are constantly evolving and stretching the boundaries of being songs, becoming something more akin to audio stories. Despite the lack of lyrics, when you listen to the tracks, they take you on a journey. Being instrumental, they have to remain interesting throughout and they definitely do. They give off a huge amount of ambience too.

Memory9 has kept a strong theme throughout the EP, one which I mentioned in my previous review; space/sci-fi. Opening track ‘Dusty Red’  instantly makes me think of Mars (the planet, not the chocolate bar). I can picture it being the soundtrack to a game set on the dusty red planet, an arcade game where you race space craft or something, because of it’s upbeat tempo and the solid beat throughout. Despite this consistent rhythm, there are still dynamic changes within the song, so it doesn’t feel boring and repetitive. The female vocals have a lot to do with this; they break the sections up.

Track number two, ‘Portals’  opens with the beautiful sounds of a stringed instrument being plucked, with an almost Oriental feel. Then, of course, we get the expected subtle bass notes and drum beat overlaid, with the plucking somewhere in the middle providing the main melodies. With melodic themes coming in and out and then returning later, this song holds your interest, as you want to hear where it goes next.

Closing track, ‘Bloodlines’, follows in the footsteps of previous tracks and has recurring melodies, low bass undertones and a continual drum beat. Being the shortest track from the EP, it seems to evolve quicker than others. Possibly helped along by the female vocals and hastily-paced drums.

‘The Dodecahedron’  is still my favourite, however the whole Red Falcon EP is a treat to listen to. I particularly enjoy the fact that the mastering hasn’t been pushed to the limit; there’s lots of space around the instruments, so it’s all audible, unlike a lot of popular electronic music. All of these tracks follow a similar structure, which could be criticised and they have a consistent sound, which could again be criticised, but this is the unique sound of Memory9.

Snap up one of 150 numbered EP’s on16th December.

★★★★★

Jake Parker