Velvet Symphony - Counterclockwise review

Year : 2012
Genre : Instrumental Progressive Space Rock, Easily Listening
Label : Glittertown Records
Origin : United States
Official site : > - here - <

Though genres tend to be arrogant by nature, it seems and sounds safe to say that Velvet Symphony is Ed Melendez's instrumental progressive space rock project which not only is easy to listen to, but vastly entertaining to do so with, as well.

Ed Melendez's music embodies the sheer vibes the inquisitive ears would keenly jump unto during a high profile '80s YET timeless space journey, and, if you (falsely) consider that you do not currently feel suited for such a reality fabric experience, then please get your head out of all butts and just pop this spin in, and you will be taken on such a sonic trip nevertheless.

The "I" is the least important part in a review, competing with the urgency to remind ourselves from time to time that it is fun to solidify a rule by failing to submit to it. As such, I'm listening to this music right now and feel an almost irresistible physical urge to play the role playing game Mass Effect 2 with this album playing as sonic backdrop as soon as possible. Ed Melendez is old school and All Sonic Balls, as his debut, Counterclockwise - a probable reference to the exquisite retroid space rock nature of this fine audio stimuli - showcases more than 30 years of the artist's personal musical evolution, that which primarily gravitates around the crystal clear musical thought, executed and complimented by an exemplary musical awareness and a perfect understanding of retro sci-fi glitter. First Blade Runner this, then read on to know more about this.

Ed Melendez primarily is a keyboardist, so it should not surprise you at all that the disc reeks the music Jean Michelle Jarre seeks to circulate with varying degrees of success exhibited since 1642, only, Melendez fortunately made sure to include only the kinds and types of ideas that are guaranteed to show simultaneous potential both to exist and entertain - the two qualities might have something to do with each other via a mystical (?) form of entanglement. Melendez's harmonic awareness, coupled with the unrelenting and valiant willingness to deliver layered ornamentics, is considerable. The luscious audio happenings are always complex AND straightforward, courtesy of well established base structures your host compliments with top tier mid-, and high frequency melodic wizardry.

The main lead brings a perplexingly-, even impertinently convincing solo guitar timber, and, depending on the spot you will join into the flow on as listener, you might have immense-, even "emence" difficulty believing that what you hear is not a(n) "(un)real" electric guitar offering ambitious avant-garde patterns as per the command of an adept fret soulja'. Premiere sci-fi shredder Michael Angelo Batio LOVES this music all the way through. See? No objections.

At 41:08 interval of massively instrumental space journey overdose, Ed Melendez has plenty of real estate to showcase/articulate his intriguing inner visions of top of the foodchain old-school retro eloquence, and even the tamer compositions - from a harmonic point of view, see track 9, "Cloud Parade", for example - emerge successful as nice chill out-periods and "forgiving" counter-pointings against such high profile instrumental highlights like trailblazer-opener "Exit", or track ender "Metal Circus", which once again so deliciously invades the mind with the ethos of the science fiction of the '80s that you immediately want to take hold of something pink with green blotches, no matter what. Seriously, if you have a chance to do so, go into the "Afterlife" bar in Mass Effect 2 with any track from this fine spin as background music, and the exhiliratingly evident stimuli-satisfaction is guaranteed. When something is "too good", you have no other chance than to make it stop for a while, so it can be "too good" again, armed with its rightful claim to its sheer quality once again. Such is the case with this release, too : it is a good idea to take one sip at a time, it indeed is so good. Do NOT abuse yourself (that much [at all]).

As noted, Ed Melendez has been at the music production quest since quite a while, and his debut, when witnessed for what it wants to accomplish, - which is to establish the musical timelessness of progressive over-the-top glitter sci-fi starting from 2012 - is nothing less than triumphant, and an immediate recommendation for ALL music lovers. What? You are not a fan of glitter sci-fi? You don't know what you are talking about - listen to this record, and you WILL be a fan of it. The album gives no other options, and this equates with its premiere character and sonic benefit.

Check out Ed Melendez's Velvet Symphony at the official site : > - here - <.

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