What if I told you that there was a post rock band that incorporated chip-tune into its sound? I don’t suppose that would sound too weird, given the already well recognized penchant that post rock bands have for weird influences. However, what if I told you that the end results was so good that it transceded the gimmick and became a combination you wish you had thought of yourself? Well, brace yourself for For Astronauts and Satellites, since that’s exactly what they’re about. Oh, and there are Pacific Rim references as well. Let’s head on over the jump, shall we?
“To Fight Monsters…”, one half of that Pacific Rim reference I mentioned, is a good example of what Then, By the Light of Our Own Creation is capable of: it opens up with a furious intro, utilizing the more hectic and speedy aspects of chip-tune/retro-game music. However, it quickly reminds of the softer, more drawn out timbre of this style, dallying around a middle part that wouldn’t put Mono to shame for its ethereal and emotional quality. It segues brilliantly into “We Created Monsters”, an even weirder track, drenched in delayed chip-tune and 8 bit vibes.
Long story short, this album is damn fresh. It manages to take a mix that might easily have descended into mere novelty and make it its own. Spin this album for chilled out nostalgia, furious 8-bit races through sci-fi landscapes and just that overall good vibe that post rock does. Check out previous releases and Then, By the Light of Our Own Creation over at the label’s Bandcamp. And please, consider purchasing. They deserve your money.
-EK