The Soft Wave

If you’ve ever taken a nap on a bed of analog synths before (see such Krautrock cadets as Klaus Schulze and Cluster), then you know what to expect from Alexis Georgopoulos’ latest Arp outing. At least at first, as “Pastoral Symphony” sets the mood with two sun-stroked movements of microwaved melodies and carefully plotted chords. *The Soft Wave*’s idyllic setting doesn’t last long, however. Before you get a chance to process all that ambiance, the mesmerizing minimalism of a song like “Catch Wave” is countered by dollops of distortion (“White Light,” “Summer Girl”) and a severe thunderstorm climax (“Silver Clouds”) that threatens to consume us all. 

After pre-dating the rise of artists like Emeralds and Oneohtrix Point Never, Arp's drone gets a shot of songcraft and traditional instrumentation.

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After recording 2007's In Light with only vintage analog synthesizers, Arp's Alexis Georgopoulos went back to the electronic drawing board and rethought his purity of approach.