Yeah, I got my hands on some Tarkovsky Criterion
action. Stalker and Solaris were both pretty great. Slow
burns, both of them, but the payoff was worth it in both cases, and each was a
master class in character development. Are Ess, aka Robert Sergel (initials!),
has also checked out a bit of Tarkovsky, and the mood has filtered into his
music. This is a good thing – Are Ess strips away some of the fuzzier elements
of earlier EP releases for Onsen Egg,
a much more subdued affair, atmospheric and serene. The pace is tranquil
(except on propulsive tracks like “Motorik Dream,” which you can totally figure
out what it sounds like just from the name). Sergel sure doesn’t sacrifice his
knack for writing a killer tune, though – he just combines some of the best
things about traditional pop songcraft with whispier, more effervescent
flourishes.
https://foreignpower.bandcamp.com/
--Ryan