The whole album hints at a long, gently unwinding story featuring natural expectant essences, but often with a certain melancholy just within the sphere of feelings. Calming sequences are ever present, often interspersed with fundamental elements of sedate joy.
Composed with an outstanding virtuosity
Connections is the latest offering from Franck Zaragoza, who currently records as Ocoeur. This latest creative process seemingly his answer to the grim isolation imposed by recent lockdowns. According to the PR blurb, “…Connections has a wonderous optimism yet still demonstrates deep emotive vibrations and meticulous sound design…“
The whole album hints at a long, gently unwinding story featuring natural expectant essences, but often with a certain melancholy just within the sphere of feelings. Calming sequences are ever present, often interspersed with fundamental elements of sedate joy. However, beneath the layers there are many motifs of mysterious mood. There’s the ghostly and spacious “Contact.,” a work full of atmospherics – like a sunrise gently emerging from beyond a distant plain, while the world resonates with its pulse of life. It develops, definite and constant, yet still gentle. An awaking of purist ambience and radiant power that is both even and temperate.
The bassline of “Opposite Sides” sets a steady rhythm that supports the meandering and gentle clasp like sounds. Always very understated, but polished with the magical soul induced by sharpened synths during a brief break in beats, before heading in a more fulsome direction.
“A Long Way” is defined with its mysterious introduction—almost fluid like sounds, like a pleasantly flowing stream or gentle rain drops of synth, all set against a luminous backdrop that allows dulled down thunder claps to build up—slightly marking its original angelic like essence that initially sparked images of heavenly light. “Stay” is another spacious and angelic spiritual flight, with a tinkling of keys marking out the higher registers creating an impeding sense of drama. Short and very, very, sweet.
A host of charming subsidiary themes and secret impulses, all composed with an outstanding virtuosity.
If a storm is about to break, then it is indicated by “Breaking the Circle,” with plenty of beats interspersed with drama, while “Distinct Light” is as calming as a turquoise ocean, featuring shapely chords that blend like waves that disperse into wet sands; a short interlude of constant and continuous blend of catchy melody. “Connections” features the mechanics of a grandfather clock throughout. Sure, and stable, with gentle synth washes to illuminate. “Endurance” presents a static effect chill out zone—one that happily sits in the background while ever expanding synths wash into the fore.
Honouring the dark moments is “Slumber.” It invokes a deep melancholy, where thoughts are illuminated within the musical segments of a gently roaming piano that explores as if a dawn mist tries to lift the mind from the depths of darkness. The twinkling of “To Infinity” is like a spellbound chest of magic. The synths gradually becoming more explorative and majestic. “The Deep End” gives way to a taste of techno inspired themes—it’s not so much dramatic, but more precise, with its jagged patterns that zig zag through the track, punctuating it throughout.
This release features a host of charming subsidiary themes and secret impulses, all composed with an outstanding virtuosity—melodies that are filled with profound sensibility and passionate feeling.
Connections is available on n5MD September 10, 2021. [Bandcamp]
