A very well produced piece that expresses deep human feelings— although it is synthesis based music—while exploring different palettes of sadness as a main theme.
Narrating frustration and crumbling goals
Spanish label Waste Editions released just last month French producer Frédérick Barbe’s new mini-album Vanishing Dreams as Cold Colors. It’s a very well produced piece that expresses deep human feelings— although it is synthesis based music—while exploring different palettes of sadness as a main theme.
The opener, called “Clear Memory,” shows how connected to the eighties the artist is as the synthetic voice echoes above the bassline on the first bars. But in no time, a very Lowfish-like lead synth brings the listener to the year 2000. Quite a nice surprise. Next comes “Live Forever,” a slow paced tune that takes your mind to a world illuminated by a neon sun. Deep and emotional, the layers of warm synths trigger memories that flourish a mix of contemplative, thoughtful and also sad feelings. A high point on the album.
“Absence Inachevée” also depicts some melancholy despite its higher tempo and the beat claps. It’s as if someone’s dancing with a broken heart. Which leads to “Tired Heart,” that keeps solitude on the agenda, but in a cooler way, as if the protagonist of a dystopian movie is thinking about a past love while cruising through the desert in the middle of nowhere.
On the other hand, “Désillusions” seems to bring that much needed new energy after you hit rock bottom, like a reality check that puts you up and running. The closing provided by “We Were Young” is a nostalgic take but also a mature view over memories. On Vanishing Dreams, a mal du siècle inspired Cold Colors tells a story in a very cinematic way, narrating frustration and crumbling goals that everyone can relate to. Definitely a great pick when diving into our shadows is necessary, not as a form of escapism but for some proper purging.
Vanishing Dreams is available on Waste Editions. [Bandcamp]
