Crystalica
Darkhan, 2020
8/10
The French electronic artist Michael Brun, i.e. Lueur Verte, firmly has his feet planted in the ‘80s with a synth heavy formula, as this EP originally released in 2013 sees the reissue treatment in physical form.
“Lueur Verte’s Theme” starts the listen with dreamy synth that would be right at home in any number of ‘80s movies with its timeless appeal, and the title track follows with a playful buzzing as plenty of retro synthwave ideas unfold with precision.
The final 3 tunes follows a similar course, where “Emerald Rising” unfolds with a firm, swift execution of sci-fi like electronic rock, while “Onyx Noir” is a tune you could dance to while still landing somewhere between post-punk and New Wave. “Frozen Tears” exits the listen on a calmer note, as gentle moments of beauty align with moodier bouts of cyberpunk nods.
Even though this was released 7 years ago, it sounds as relevant as ever as Lueur Verte was truly ahead of time, and certainly warrants a this physical release on both CD and vinyl.
Travels well with: Azonic- Prospect Of The Deep Volume One; Clustersun- Surfacing To Breathe