Short Reviews [4th Eden - 2021 - "Metamorphosis"]

Here we have the latest release from Martin Eve, and for this one he has moved more firmly into the realm of Vangelis while also bringing in plenty of Jean Michel Jarre with the result being that this feels more proggy and less electronica than some of his previous works. Kraftwerk are still an important part of his approach, and I would have liked less of the electronic percussion as I don’t think it is really necessary but overall, this is a much more enjoyable (for me) than the likes of ‘Atmospherik Mekanisms’. Part of that, I’m sure, is that in the intervening time Martin has been able to find his own voice and is no longer under the pressures of recording music to finish his degree. Now he is more relaxed and is going where the music takes him, and with no deadlines to meet or certain compositional elements to demonstrate this is a much more complete piece of art. It is music which allows the listener to just drift away into the world of the artist’s creation, with some interesting melodies and creations. There are multiple layers of keyboards, often with simple repeated layers which hook the listener back in, and there is certainly a lot more direction than is often the case with this style of music, with “Interstellar Avalanche” being one of those which stand out for this very reason. This is a solid album, and one which people into this style of music will certainly enjoy.