Lost Souls Of Saturn (Seth Troxler & Phil Moffa) - Reality [Holoverse Research Labs]

For their debut album, Seth Troxler and Phil Moffa joined forces and became multi-dimensional creative dissidents Lost Souls Of Saturn. This time, even further into the vortex, they have metamorphosed into sci-fi augmented reality comic book characters John and Frank, who have explored the galaxy and returned with this new perception-defying LP.

Whilst 'Reality' still possesses the eccentric conceptual brilliance that earned them installations and performances at The Saatchi Gallery (London), Fondation Beyeler (Basel), The Metropolitan Museum Of Art (NYC) and The Museum Of Contemporary Art Detroit, plus live performances at Field Day, Glastonbury and Kappa Futur, as its title might suggest, there is vividness amidst the perplexing. Where its predecessor was a dark and strange exploration of arcane and dark cerebral passages, this album, whilst still profound, has a dazzling clarity of sound, as if listeners are beginning to decipher the arcane codes and find enlightenment.

A prime example of these new rays of light guiding participants through the labyrinth is their recent single; the sparkling cosmic synth pop techno of 'Mirage', featuring the vocals of Adam Ohr. Also guesting on the album is Lvv Gvn, whose Billie Holiday-esque honeyed tones grace the tranquil pixelated broken beat of 'Click', the trumpet sessions of Greg Paulus on 'Zorg Arrival' and 'Scram City', and Joe Casey and Greg Ahee of Protomartyr, who grace the celestial plane of liminal drift of 'Lilac Chasers'. Sitarist Rishab Sharma, the latest disciple of guru Ravi Shankar, also dazzles on 'Scram City'.

Elsewhere, throughout the LP's immensely inventive instrumental passages, techno, dub, house, jazz, psychedelia, and ambient vaporise into an expansive yet pleasantly concise series of constantly morphing dream states. Fans of Air Liquide, Ravi Shankar, Ray Manzarek, Carl Craig, Pole, The Orb, and the 'Son Of A Lung' era of FSOL should find much to enjoy.