2013-12-19 4:01:00 ¶ ●

RATING: 9 / 13 – reminds me mUch of home. so peacefUl

Well, Calliope might think that this album is peaceful, but that’s probably only because she grew up on the blasted ashes of Earth long after its demise.

Medium is the first solo album by Clark “Plazmataz” Powell. It’s primarily symphonic and atmospheric in tone. Many of the songs contrast a high, natural, treble melody against a deep, synthetic, industrial background.

And there’s a lot of ambient effects and sound scattered throughout. It’s very professionally done: always to enhance a track, never to overwhelm it. The effects bounce between natural (rolling waves from Light, showers from Rain) and otherworldly (the quasi-industrial synth noises from Heat, the main melody from Clockwork).

Given the album’s title, it does very well to set a mood, to describe each of the particular settings it targets. And as a bit of background music, it excels.

Click here for individual song reviews for Medium.