HOLY STRAYS - "Hyperion" C35 (NNF)

I'm always excited to dip into the most recent Not Not Fun release, as they are usually right up my alley.And such is the case with the Holy Strays "Hyperion" cassette.It comes on a dashing green tape, with some cool gold artwork on both sides.All of the sounds on the tape are they work of a talented Parisian named Sebastien Forrester.The music is for the most part pretty laid back, with some soothing electronic-based arrangements, and layers of soft synths piled high.It's obvious that this isn't just some Fruity Loops experiment, or whatever random electronic music program jamming.He's really putting some vintage analog gear to good use, and it pays off big.A bit of Hyperion goes in the direction of Klaus Schulze, and lingers in the empty spaces for a while.But things take a turn for the better, with moody, dark hooks and tempo changes galore.
Throughout this tape you might hear pieces of Stereolab, Cluster, and even Brian Eno's more psyched-out works.But it does a good job of not overexposing it's influences too much.Catchy analog jams and focused arrangements in flux, and good recording.Hope to hear more from this guy.

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