Before rocketing straight into the music it’s equally important to take a moment to admire the cover art for this release, which is wonderfully done by Grinwise, as it

Before rocketing straight into the music it’s equally important to take a moment to admire the cover art for this release, which is wonderfully done by Grinwise, as it depicts a massive decapitated robot head floating ominously over a planetoid with it’s vast visage looking down upon an awed figure; which is exactly what it feels like when listening to the Arrival EP by Sekond Prime. While this debut EP certainly has a good head on its shoulders in terms of having its mind on synthwave, the body of work itself transforms into something else entirely as the songs roll out: that of a wholly unique sub-genre which can only be described as “spacewave.”

Characterized by a much more dark and ambient sound, with slow pulsating electronic beats and echo-y synths, the songs on the Arrival EP are the kind that would make for the perfect soundtrack set among the stars. While but a brief four song EP, each track still delivers in its own, unique way starting with “Alpha One” which features vocals performed by Lara Ausensi, a classically trained soprano. With a writing credit to her name for the lyrics, you can really feel Lara’s passion for the words as she delivers a voice within an impressive vocal range not unlike that of a siren hypnotically calling you towards the deepest darkest parts of the galaxy.

The rest of the album might be sans vocals but this doesn’t mean that the three songs that are left don’t hit any less hard. To the contrary: “The Navigator” follows up with Earth-shattering beats interlaced with bass heavy synth work, like getting caught in the middle of an asteroid field with the sound of debris slamming against your ship. “Connected” gives you that floating in zero gravity feeling at first, the kind that you can really close your eyes and meditate along to what with the almost chillwave like vibe, before eventually falling back into a far more sinister sound.

That overall sense of dread continues in the final song, “Something New,” but doesn’t stay too long as it ends up playing out the reverse of the song that came before. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, a new hope glistening in the darkness, and it truly has arrived with this debut EP from Sekond Prime. Bottom line, if you enjoy synthwave, specifically the kind that can deliver unto your ears and mind an otherworldly experience, then this release is for you. Be sure to check out their Bandcamp page for some additional singles not included on this release.

Nikolai T. Nelson

Published 7 years ago