(2022) Cool Maritime - Big Earth Energy  


Review:
Electronic musician/filmmaker Sean Hellfritsch’s recordings as Cool Maritime have evolved from lo-fi beach pop sketches (Tea Time Travel) to immersive modular synth improvisations (Some Sort of Wave Portal), stepping up to clearer, more defined melodies with 2018’s Sharing Waves. The somewhat goofily titled Big Earth Energy is easily his most finely tuned effort yet, filled with crystal clear digital tones evoking lush rain forests, as seen through a computer or television screen. His specific inspirations for the album include the soundtracks to ’90s role-playing computer games like MYST, as well as Joe Hisaishi’s revered scores for Studio Ghibli animations. The album could just as easily accompany a nature program on public broadcasting, particularly one that focuses heavily on tropical climates, with an abundance of leafy green vegetation and pond-dwelling creatures. “Amphibia” builds up racing arpeggios and xylophone-like electronic percussion, with bird calls in the background providing depth and signaling different directions. Tracks like “Temporal Dryft” and “Avian Glide” have the type of synth rushes that suggest the introductions to atmospheric drum’n’bass tracks, but instead of being swept away by supercharged breakbeats, they flow and blossom at their own paces. “Secret of the Megafauna” has just a touch of pan flute along with its sparkling, chiming tones and vivid melodies. “Apex” is music for the environmental program’s rolling end credits, with a slightly quirky synth pop edge applied to mock orchestral grandeur. With his music, Hellfritsch zones in on a very specific period of his upbringing, channeling the spirit of childhood exploration through welcoming, intricately crafted digital compositions.


         


Track List:
01 - Big Earth Energy
02 - Amphibia
03 - Temporal Dryft
04 - Soft Fascination
05 - Avian Glide
06 - Secret of the Megafauna
07 - Apex


Media Report:
Genre: ambient, electronic
Country: USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits


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