'KaleidoSound: Time, Shape & Space Vol. 2'
f5point6
See Blue Audio SBA 019

1. Irregular Expansion
2. The Promise of Endless Possibilities
3. Neglected Signal
4. It's Perfect Here
5. Evolve to Eradicate
6. Logan's Still Running
7. Disconnect – Connect – Disconnect
8. Nanobot-Assisted
9. The Choice Is Ours to Make
10. Speriamo
11. Principium et Finis (bonus track)

Release date: 21 May 2021

lnk.to/SBA019

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Back in April 2020, R.Cleveland Aaron under the name f5point6 began a musical adventure that he termed 'KaleidoSound' with a six-track introductory album. A year later, the fifth and final instalment in this cinematic project completes the adventure, which serves as an audio chronicle of the creation and evolution of Planet Earth. 'KaleidoSound: Time, Shape & Space Vol. 2', the nineteenth release on See Blue Audio and second part of an enquiry into the world as it is today, also looks to the future. The theme has now moved from architecture, and the supreme architect that is nature, to the role of humanity in this story; not surprisingly, the predicaments and uncertainties facing our species are reflected in the music.

This 11-track collection, subtitled 'Human Evolution 20th Century and Beyond', begins with 'Irregular Expansion', an introspective beatless soundscape, which has a hint of early 'KaleidoSound' tracks about it and maintains the See Blue Audio principle of each release containing at least one beatless track or remix. As the title suggests, this is an uneasy ambience with humanity existing within its own system as opposed to the global community of the planet. This sense of unease grows more profound with each track as the analogue loops of sound are joined by discordant effects, dialogues and field recordings, and crackly or metallic beats. Consumerism, superficial beauty, self-obsession, our diminishing attention spans, and a lack of critical reflection are among the themes explored. This reaches a peak on 'Logan's Still Running', which references 'Logan's Run', the apocalyptic '70s science fiction film and television series. Truth and freedom are denied to humanity in return for a serene but limited life, an inner conflict reflected in the mutant jazz undertones and electronic mayhem of the track.

We are now immersed in a technologically driven world, where digital devices and AI assistants guide our thoughts, feelings and choices; we are engulfed by an anaesthetic of consumerism, and the music is almost like a sonic comfort blanket. Through this blanket, however, chinks of light appear, glitches of sound in which unknown futures can be glimpsed. A sense of hope bursts into life on 'Speriamo' – meaning "let's hope" in Italian – with its cascading melodies and trance-like celebration of life. It's a sublime ending to a diverse and sometimes unsettling album, but it was designed to capture this period in our history so how could it be otherwise.

As is typical with f5point6, Cleveland throws us a curveball with an additional bonus track, 'Principium et Finis' – meaning "the beginning and the end" in Latin – where many of the musical themes of the album make a reappearance and questions resurface. With this final note, the first cycle of the 'KaleidoSound' comes to an end, but more musical chronicles will surely follow.

The overarching sensation from 'KaleidoSound: Time, Shape & Space Vol. 2' is one of being caught in a series of loops that have created an unnatural evolution of modern society. These loops are also the foundation of the music, which has been meticulously programmed to illustrate how just controlled and deceived we are. We want lifestyles not real lives; we want ever-increasing luxury without pain; and we want it to never end. 'KaleidoSound' is the musical vision of one man’s questioning of that reality.

Artwork and photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

KaleidoSound: Time, Shape & Space Vol. 2

'KaleidoSound: Time, Shape & Space Vol. 2' (preview) – f5point6 (See Blue Audio SBA #019)

Ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light... Established 2019.

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