The Last Summeris part of a 4cd set recently released on Milwaukee’s Topscore label, with the other three discs featuring albums by Skates + Rays, J. Minor, and Pressboard. This one is in a somewhat different vein than Projectile’s recent Pug Times lp on Toytronic, being much more mature and focused musically, but still displaying Matt Arnold’s uncanny composing talents for creating strong, cohesive electronic masterpieces. While not as beat-heavy as Pug Times, this disc instead displays a fuller, more even-sounding work with extremely complex layering and skillful song structuring. Atmospheric and laid-back, The Last Summerexhibits perfectly what we’ve come to expect from Mr. Projectile, demonstrating tight production and catchy melodies that effortlessly rake across a solid surface of indefinable coherency. Tracks like “Flying Sounds”, “Pedestal”, and “Fend to Buddy” are full of warm, lovely melodies, dreamy atmospheres, and addictive beat patterns. Careful and intricate, each song further defines Mr. Projectile’s unyielding progression, manipulating and refining existing composition techniques and effects. It might be easy to miss the profound brilliance of this music with just a casual listen, but to hear this with intent will cleverly expose a wonderfully elaborate world of futuristic travels far from most of the current offerings in this genre. This is easily one of the best albums this year and most certainly Mr. Projectile’s most accomplished work to date. Feel free to kick your stereo levels up a bit on this one. I promise it will reveal plenty of memorable moments…
