Easily Embarrassed - Planet Discovery

STYLE
Downtempo and midtempo electronica. The Planet Discovery album is presented as a voyage beyond the confines of the earth. Fittingly the synthetic sounds maintain the cosmic imagery - sci-fi soundscapes and spacey expanses full of sparkling effects. There is often something of a retro feel to the compositions looking back almost to seventies progressive music and sixties psychedelia. The dramatic opener features some sharp melodic synth forms and tribal drumming to accompany the initial count down. An ambient interlude leaves the listener then drifting for a moment weightless as delicate piano phrases begin to tinkle among the drones of the beatless Leaving Terra. Planet Discovery moves effortlessly from floatational expanses into twinkling slow motion freeform and dynamic downtempo with falling arpeggios and bright progressive lead lines. The pace quickens during The Journey into a slightly mechanical rhythm that breaks open midway through into shimmering slo-mo with ethnic vocal samples before winding back up again. Concluding with a pair of tracks that once more drift and glide for the most part without percussive support, the album leaves the listener far away from home and heading for infinity.

ARTWORK
I have only the electronic version of this album with the front cover artwork as seen above left. Here we see the clear orb of planet earth stark against the nebulous purple and black of a star punctuated backdrop. The legend "Discovering new audio planets and ambient galaxies" foots the artwork.


OVERALL
The Easily Embarrassed project released their first EPs starting in 2006 and their first full length album followed in the form of Idyllic Life in 2008 through Cardamar Music. Brothers Nick van der Schilden and Jeffrey van der Schilden run Easily Embarrassed from their EE Studio in Aalsmeer, Netherlands. This current nine track release comes via Cosmicleaf Records presents a journey of through a "broad range of electronic music styles, including electro ambient, dub, techno, trance and psychedelic music, while also bits of classical and world music can be found." Track titles build the concept of a voyage - Ignition, Leaving Terra, Gravity, The Journey, Extraterrestrial Lifeforms - the spacey theme colouring the music. Available in digital and CD formats, the album can be previewed at the band's website.

www.morpheusmusic.co.uk