┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Ostinatos presents: │
│ │
│ VA - Solarstone Presents Electronic Architecture 4 │
│ │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ : : │
│ │
│ Artist: VA │
│ Album : Solarstone Presents Electronic Architecture 4 │
│ │
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ : : │
│ Genre : Electronic │
│ Date : 2021-05-14 │
│ Encoder : LAME 3.100 (-V0) │
│ Quality : 268 kbps avg │
│ 4410kHz / Joint Stereo │
│ Track(s) : 31 │
│ Playtime : 02:28:21 │
│ Size : 298.91MB │
│ Language : English │
│ Source : CD │
│ Label : Black Hole Recordings │
│ Catalognr : BHCD215 │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────[ ReleaseNotes ]───────────────────────────┐ │
│ : : │
│ ItÆs been seven years - and some long ones at that - since Solarstone │
│ last designed and constructed an æElectronic ArchitectureÆ. While æEAsÆ │
│ 1 thru æ3' maintained a regular release pulse, with each year that │
│ followed 2014, the seriesÆ absence has been felt evermore acutely. │
│ │
│ Whilst never down to one factor, Pure TranceÆs capturing of the sceneÆs │
│ zeitgeist, and the unchecked success that followed played no small │
│ part. Like æislandÆ (last yearÆs out-of-nowhere Solarstone LP), its │
│ return though is down to something far more appreciable. The last │
│ twelve months have brought a step change in electronic music needs and │
│ with æPure TranceÆ receiving a well-earned mix-sabbatical last autumn, │
│ itÆs allowed the cultural time, space and climate for something many │
│ had consigned to Solarstone legacy. │
│ │
│ Aside from the pulsingly positive multi-coloured lights that emanate │
│ from within its cube, the æArthitectureÆ of the fourth æArchitectureÆ │
│ is visibly more brutalist & current-day resonant than its predecessors. │
│ Its musical remit though remains timelessly unchanged. Tonally & │
│ thematically, æEA4Æ owns the equidistant middleground between the │
│ æNorthern ExposureÆ and æRenaissanceÆ albums. Never seeing the │
│ electronica-extremes of the former, nor quite as floor-intense as the │
│ latter, their progressivism hits the perfect median between. │
│ │
│ Despite being offered as a physical item (how could something this │
│ beautiful not!), digitally æElectronic Architecture 4Æ has been devised │
│ as a start-through-finish listening experience. The new nonpareil of │
│ the kick-back-æn-musically-trip encounter, its soundscape has few û if │
│ any - modern parallels. │
│ │
│ As ever the musical backbone of this new release is made up of │
│ creatives whoÆve cut their teeth on previous Solarstone projects and │
│ new talent, freshly recruited to its ranks. In regard to the former, │
│ new music resounds from the likes of Lostly, Basil OÆGlue, Stoneface & │
│ Terminal, Super-Frog Saves Tokyo, Forerunners, Nick Silvestri and │
│ others. To its new-talent-latter meanwhile, Solarstone has gone further │
│ than ever before in uncovering it. As well as welcoming an influx of │
│ new music through the front door, he scoured the InternetÆs │
│ forum-highways & Bandcamp-byways in search of promise. When he found it │
│ - even in its most embryonic form, no effort was spared to cultivate it │
│ for æEA4Æ. Case in point, æEquilibriumÆ - the albumÆs penultimate │
│ track. Nominally a one-minute software demo from technologist Dreams Of │
│ Wires, Solarstone worked with just the briefest of melody ideas to │
│ bring Dreams his first fully realised production. │
│ │
│ │
│ Whilst on its comeback-track, æElectronic ArchitectureÆ experienced │
│ more than its fair share of stars-aligning moments. Halfway into │
│ production, regular Solarstone collaborator Alucard announced the end │
│ of his retirement by dropping an albumÆs worth of material into æEAÆs │
│ demo box - several of which found their way into its mix. Richard also │
│ stumbled across a twelve-year-old ælost-tapeÆ track from Vincent Lewis │
│ (who û fact-fans - went on to direct SolarstoneÆs æElectric LoveÆ │
│ video!). In essence a musical time capsule dating back to æEAÆs most │
│ embryonic times, æPulse TrainÆ became part of the albumÆs opening │
│ stages. æWe're DescendingÆ - LostlyÆs stunning latest - arrived within │
│ hours of Rich needing something to further a moodier tranche, whilst │
│ opening track æLamentÆ by Super-Frog Saves TokyoÆs landed a day after │
│ the project commenced. In timely fashion the album also hosts new │
│ Solarstone production æPale Blue DotÆ, his & OrkideaÆs sixth │
│ æSlowmotionÆ and KryderÆs desk-hot remix of æislandÆs æWhen I DreamÆ. │
│ │
│ │
│ Key as ever to æElectronic ArchitectureÆs constitution are SolarstoneÆs │
│ own Reconstructions - eleven of which feature over the duration. Not │
│ remixes, re-edits or re-imaginings exactly, they are versions that │
│ bring incredible tracks into line with the seriesÆ sonic ethic, as │
│ Richard does everything from tweak to wholesale reconfigure them to │
│ fit. │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────[ Tracklist ]─────────────────────────────┐ │
│ : : │
│ Disc 1 / 2 [ ] │
│ -------- [ ] │
│ [ ] │
│ 1. Super-Frog Saves Tokyo - Lament [ 3:10] │
│ 2. Nick Silvestri - Little Things [ 4:50] │
│ 3. Vincent Lewis - Pulse Train [ 6:56] │
│ 4. Xabiso - Children of the Night (Reconstruction) [ 5:52] │
│ 5. Andrei Zinca - Wildflower (Reconstruction) [ 4:58] │
│ 6. V-Ti - Space Dogs (Reconstruction) [ 3:27] │
│ 7. Passive Progressive ft. Sentient Mullet - Fluke [ 5:04] │
│ (Reconstruction) [ ] │
│ 8. Forerunners - Sunreturn [ 3:44] │
│ 9. Solarstone - When I Dream (Kryder Remix) [ 4:58] │
│ 10.Basil O'Glue & Nomas - Untold [ 3:21] │
│ 11.Solarstone & Bill McGruddy - Take Me On Your Flight [ 3:13] │
│ (Acapella) [ ] │
│ 12.DISCO19 - The Sea of Stars (Reconstruction) [ 4:11] │
│ 13.Solarstone - Pale Blue Dot [ 6:23] │
│ 14.Lostly - We're Descending (Reconstruction) [ 5:00] │
│ 15.Solarstone & Orkidea - Slowmotion VI [ 6:30] │
│ 16.Coredata - 94 (Reconstruction Part One) [ 3:31] │
│ [ ] │
│ [ ] │
│ Disc 2 / 2 [ ] │
│ -------- [ ] │
│ [ ] │
│ 1. Coredata - 94 (Reconstruction Part Two) [ 3:27] │
│ 2. MK8 - Breathe [ 3:27] │
│ 3. Men-D - Dropped by the Gods (Reconstruction) [ 2:00] │
│ 4. Stowers & Cooper ft Brooke Woods - Shattered Skies [ 3:10] │
│ (Acapella) [ ] │
│ 5. Alucard - Midway [ 3:19] │
│ 6. Gary Afterlife - Wavering Light (Reconstruction) [ 3:57] │
│ 7. ZOYA - Bright Star (Reconstruction) [ 4:40] │
│ 8. Shadow Realm - Other Side of the Sky [ 6:32] │
│ 9. Martin LeBlanc - Lagom [ 5:54] │
│ 10.Glynn Alan - Limitless [ 6:24] │
│ 11.Super-Frog Saves Tokyo - Kyoto (Reconstruction) [ 7:09] │
│ 12.Macker - Lost in Space (Simon Bostock Remix) [ 6:23] │
│ 13.Stoneface & Terminal - Lose My Need (Reconstruction) [ 7:09] │
│ 14.Solarstone & Dreams of Wires - Equilibrium [ 6:15] │
│ 15.Alucard - Phoenix [ 3:27] │
│ [ ] │
│ [ ] │
│ │
│ 02:28:21 │
│ ------- │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘