Review Summary: The balance of melody, rhythms and wide soundscapes make for an interesting electronic album.
While ambient music can be a bit of trouble to get into for some listeners (as in those who may not see it entirely as “music”), Carbon Based Lifeforms provide a soft balance of catchy beats and melodies under its euphoric electronic soundscape. What is created is a relaxed spacy atmosphere, without the drones and monotonies that can easily slip into play when creating this kind of shape and mood in music.
The album often relies on single melodies and bass lines driving a track forward, especially in the likes of “Interloper” and “Central Plain”, but among all this CBL weaves in tasteful rhythms and tunes in all the right places to keep things fresh and flowing. Simplicity is a key aspect of this album and it becomes its major strength and while the track lengths may call out monotony, that is certainly not the case.
The music presents an immersive quality throughout, whether that be through the far out journeying scapes of “Euphotic” and “Polyrytmi”, the evocative tones of “Init” and “Frog” or the more traditional rhythm led tracks like “Right Where It Ends” and “Supersede”. While this is the case, the album’s overall instrumentation may not be as diverse as some may like. But on the other hand, its immersive quality lies in its consistency. CBL create a journey without treading too far out of their territory.
That being said, there are several occasions of vocal sampling. “Right Where It Ends” uses quite prominent yet soft vocals through the its rhythmic beats, while “Init” introduces its mood with a short poem.
Overall, Interloper is a satisfying electronic album with a nice balance of soft rhythmic melodies and atmospheric soundscapes for those looking for something to relax or write to.
