(01.04.07) Fly Through the Feelings is Roman Belousov’s fourth album as Novel 23 and features eight tracks recorded between 2000 and 2004. With this album Belousov returns to the warm melodic sound of his 2000 release Memories of Childhood for Advanced Imagination for Pitchcadet. His sound could be described as retro in that it has a warmer, more analogue feeling than its synthetic laptop generated counterparts, produced using his collection of vintage synths.
Belousov incorporates smooth, warm rhythms into bright, although occasionally contemplative, melodies and adds an air of classical composition to his music that other electronic music often lacks. He is not adverse, however, to dabbling with rhythms or retro electronic futurism, as the title track illustrates. Belousov’s music should not be dismissed as some attempt to replicate the classic 80’s synth sound as tracks such as “This is Our Life” and “Someone Must Return” illustrate that his outlook is distinctly modern and contemporary, it is merely the equipment he chooses to play that gives him music the unique sound it has. On the face of it, it may sound deceptively simple or even slightly amateurish but listen closer and you will find that the fusion of modern electronic sensibilities and analogue hardware create a fascinating hi-tech warmth missing from most contemporary electronic albums. The sound he creates, particularly on a track such as “First Love,” sits somewhere between the electronic music pioneers of the 80’s and the now classic electronic albums of the early to mid 90’s.
Totalling 8 tracks and clocking in at less than 35 minutes, Fly Through the Feelings is a relatively short album but is about the right length given the style and nature of the music. Don’t expect any glitch, static, drones or breaks here, Belousov’s music is strictly analogue and this alone gives it a unique quality. If he were to compose using a laptop like most other electronic musicians these days his music would no doubt be intricate and complex, such is his fascination with sound and electronics.
Fly Through the Feelings is out now on Shaped Harmonics. Buy it at Electrosputnik.com.
