70TU5

My esteemed ProgArchives colleague, the Portugal based SAMUEL CADIMA aka Meltdowner is back to unleash his modern take on the world of Berlin School progressive electronic splendor with his new album 70TU5 which is pronounced "Lotus!" The beautiful cover art painted by another ProgArchives colleague gives a hint to the album title. This is album #3 and continues CADIMA's fascination with the fusion of 1970s Krautrock, Tangerine Dream inspired electronic free floating and even a post-rock style of cyclical loops.

Another influence is the space rock of Porcupine Tree with an array of stringed instruments adding colorful flavors to the to the extensive keyboard attacks via Korg MS-20 Mini, M-Audio Venom, Arturia Analog Lab (Mellotron, Farfisa, Hammond, Solina, Prophet, CS-80, Rhodes, Pigments), VCV Rack and an NI Abbey Road 70's Drummer. For the string section we are treated to electric guitars a la Manuel Göttsching, a Portuguese guitar, a mandolin and bass. Also included is various undisclosed percussive sounds.

Add to that the mastering was done by Dirk Jan Müller of Electric Orange fame and the result is a guaranteed lysergic journey into the sonic cloud world of crafty Krautrock laced with electrifying electronic elegance! 70TU5 is a short album by modern day standards and hosts six tantalizing tracks that only add up to about 32 minutes of playing time but in the process expands your mind to an eternal blissful state where space and time are irrelevant. This short but sweet psychedelic playground is beautifully crafted with gorgeous soundscapes that exist in the vacuous far reaches of space fortified by beautiful melodic subtleties and splendiferous aural elegance.

While much prog electronic and Krautrock focuses on the detachment of the gravitational pull of reality, CADIMA embraces the emotional connections that music can offer therefore 70TU5 is nestled with catchy little melodies that offer a bit of comfort as your consciousness drifts into the vastness of space however it's not all warm as fuzzy as tracks like "Die Verborgene Falle" emits a dreadful pulsating sense of utter despair and once translated into the English "The Hidden Trap" perfectly captures the fearful prospects of the unexpected and a situation gone terribly awry.

The album even rocks out a bit with "Frischluft" which means "Fresh Air" and taps into a bit of Neu! inspired motorik in the rhythm department only adding a bit of dramatic synthesizer mojo and some guitar and bass action. The track could easily be used as a sci-fi theme song! The addition of the folk instrumentation adds some unexpected flavors to the bizarre mix of rock and electronic sounds. This one even features a feisty guitar solo. As the most crossover track on board also feels a little awkward as it stands out amongst its spacier kosmische neighbors that surround it. The album closes with the chilled out comedown "Waning Sun"

CADIMA has certainly done his homework in the world of progressive electronic and Krautrock to paint his soundscapes with an incredible number of influences which conspire to create an excellent journey through some of the coolest modern examples of space rock fortified with multi-layered electronic sequences that would fit right in with the masters of the swinging 70s. While clearly inspired by the legends of the past, CADIMA forges his own path in the modern era employing all of the production and mixing blessings that the current age has to offer. Highly recommended for those into the most lysergically soaked sounds of the creative electronic pioneers ranging from Heldon and Tangerine Dream to the more modern psycho-trippers like Electric Orange. A true triumphant Portuguese gem!