Vortex Ascent Produces A Beautiful Mix of Sounds on Shine A Light

For those that know me, you may recall my fist in the air punk rock record label. Had I known of this type of electronic music, I may have added a few artists to the roster that can put together such incredible pop sounds. Vortex Ascent’s latest release “Shine A Light” mixes what you would expect form “The Postal Service” in a whole new manner. It’s dreamy, but not to the annoying point that “Owl City” can end up having. It’s like playing the Sega Saturn game “Panzer Dragoon” or an iconic RPG like “Final Fantasy” because the flow of sounds is very much beyond the scope of just one genre.

For those that like electronic music, this will sit well. It’s not dance, it’s kind of poppy, but it’s beyond that. Vortex Ascent creates a tapestry of rich music, singing, and delightful tuning that is better than most of the independent artists in this genre. At first listen you’ll assume that this is another Radiohead clone, but it’s not. It has deeper layers than “The Bends” and it has some interesting moments including the ones found on the opening track, “Dodging Bullets”. From there you get pulled into a whole new soundscape with “This Unknown”.

The release carries you through various song structures, and styles. I wanted to label it as just one, but it’s not fair. The collective artistry shining through here is an eclectic mix of pop art, synth, dream pop, and song structures that you will definitely find appealing. When I say electric music, I don’t mean that it’s bouncing up and down or club mix driven, it’s more in the line of Joy Electric’s “Unelectric Album” or the “Brothers Martin” as you really get a feel for the resonance that is put out. At times I am reminded of “Marshmallow Ghosts”, especially on the track “Shine a Light” which mixes so well with a lot of ethereal RPG’s and games I can think of from the early 32-bit era.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not video game music, although composers would definitely be able to fit this into a lot of those games as some of the sounds lend themselves quite well to the layered progression that Squaresoft was pushing with some of their beloved series. “Shine a Light” is a good overall mix of music, and it’s not just within the electronic, rock, or even dream pop genre. It’s more so, and that’s what definitely makes this one worth paying attention to. I found it to be a good one, and you may find yourself drifting away through the emotional drawings that it pulls out of your ears. It’s eclectic aright, and definitely worth checking out.

Find out more about this release by visiting the Vortex Ascent official page here, and purchase the music here.

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