Introduction
Seasonable Project – Per Aspera Ad Astra
Artist: Seasonable Project
Title / Release Page: Per Aspera Ad Astra
Release Date: 2014
Genre: Electronic
License: CC BY-NC-ND
Media: MP3 / OGG
Pricing: Free
Label: O2 Label
Rating: ★★★★★★★
In recent web travels I came across O2 Label though an aggregator site (which I can’t recall the name of right now). I checked out the website a bit, and found that they are a mixed label: some releases are licensed under Creative Commons, while others are not. The thing that convinced me to check out their works, however, is the quality of the releases. There are some wonderful recordings that deserve exposure on The CerebralRift, such as Seasonable Project – Per Aspera Ad Astra.
Seasonable Project – Per Aspera Ad Astra
This is a light sounding, electronic recording. It leans closer to new age in style than ambient or Berlin School electronic music. One of the things that is key to the success of this style of work is being able to avoid many of the clichés inherent in a lighter style of electronic music.
And this album succeeds nicely. It’s a light, pop style of electronic music. Crisply melodic and laid back, very easy to listen to. It could almost be downtempo, but it is more pop style than it is jazzy in style.
The title track, Per Asper Ad Astra, is a real standout. Laced with seductive female spoken-word parts, the melody wraps gently around a rhythm that drives the track forward gently. The listener is enticed into this journey into another placed and another time, not dragged along or forced into it.
The whole album is in this vain: you are being guided, enticed and seduced along a melodic journey. It’s a warm place with comforting melodies, and warming harmonies. The perfect kind of listening for a cold winter’s night.
Conclusion
When trying to do light, pop-style electronic music it’s difficult to not rely on clichés. Seasonable Project manages to navigate through them on this release through deft and seductive melodies that entice and seduce the listener. He doesn’t force his style into any specific direction, instead he lets the listener find their way into his music without making too many demands.
If you need some light, listenable electronic music for a cold winter’s evening, I would suggest Seasonable Project – Per Aspera Ad Astra.
