We live in an era where the synthesizer is moving back to the forefront of music. Com Truise’s first record in six years is perfectly timed in that regard.

I feel that some people are going to see the title of this review and tell me I’m insane for comparing Com Truise to Tycho, but allow me to explain. The S U R V I V E comparison I think is self-evident, though the tone of the songs is less somber and foreboding. While the musicality of the songs differ greatly from Tycho, the bright, warm feeling that is a trademark of his albums is definitely also present here.

This music definitely appeals to me – someone who doesn’t seek out most EDM. I prefer my electronic music to have an element that’s a little otherworldly and perhaps a bit more cerebral. I’m more into zoning out than dancing – though there’s definitely some involuntary head bobbing involved.

Listening to this album, I definitely get the sense of a storyline that takes place in a fantastical realm. Reading the backstory to the album clues me in that it’s meant to be somewhat of a sci-fi love story. The music is vulnerable but not overly so. This venture into synthwave has it’s fair share of swells but don’t get to the level of aggression that, say, M83 portrays. What we have here is more airy, similar to some of Porter Robinson’s most recent record.

To be honest I’m not a fan of name dropping other artists in reviews but that’s the best way to communicate my stream of consciousness to you.

At some point during the latter half of the record I had somewhat of an epiphany. I felt something that was a mix of nostalgia and vague wonder. I say vague because that’s what the type of thing I often felt watching some children’s TV shows as a kid – namely Reading Rainbow. But to directly compare my childhood television habits with the music seems corny – which this music is not.

The fact remains though. Isolate the childlike wonder from the “that’s corny” perspective that comes from being a grown-up with certain pieces of pop culture, and you get a feeling close to what Com Truise portrays throughout Iteration.

Standout tracks: “Dryswch”, “Isostasy”, “Propagation”

-Ryan Getz

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/326318190″ /]

Score: 4/5