Mike Templar - The Owl & The Moon

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Mike Templar’s The Owl & The Moon is an artfully created, beautifully musical album that explores the full range and depth of synths—both sonically and emotionally. The artist uses his skillful ear to choose the right sounds and combines them with superb melodies and emotionally intense moods throughout the album. The result is a layered and dense listening experience, full of fascinating ear candy and moments of emotional strength.

Perhaps more important than any other element on The Owl & The Moon is the emotional and atmospheric quality of the music. Mike Templar skillfully weaves the full range of human feeling—from loss and pain to joyous celebration—into his music. Each track has a unique character and creates a different sensation and mood, drawing me in and filling me with powerful impressions.

The way Mike Templar employs synths on The Owl & The Moon is fresh and engaging. He has the ability to paint with sound, evoking a wide range of emotional and mental states while crafting uniquely textured music. Each track is carefully constructed and intensely expressive as it unfolds and the artist uses his talents to reach deep into the listener’s heart. I also enjoy the fascinating tonal contrasts that appear throughout the album.

As someone who deeply appreciates well-written melodies, I have to say that The Owl & The Moon features some of Mike Templar’s best work. His ability to create melodic content that pulls me in with its depth of expression and evocative touches is second to none and contributes mightily to the enjoyment of the journey this album offers.

I also want to point out that I enjoy the mood and theme of the album artwork, but it would be amazing to see a talented member of the artistic #synthfam contribute some original work!

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Soundcheck” begins with sharply cutting, full synth notes crying out above a rich bass well. slowly rising, gleaming synth cries out above the dense low end and fades.

Pure calm emanates from a richly swirling synth that swells in volume to kick off “Arcadia”. A trip hop beat pops through the music as deeply undulating bass throbs lusciously, touched by shadow. A woodwind-like synth drifts restfully, slipping through the music.

A glimmering synth spins out with a light touch while the bass continues to glide. As the radiant synth taps with an open voice, smoothly intertwining notes plane out and the trip hop beat adds motion. Brightness leaps as trickling notes flicker with sliding gentleness. I enjoy the steady low end heartbeat and the intermingling, shining notes that dance together.

Airy synth slowly fades out with the softly muffled sounds as an ethereal melodic pattern wanders. The drums and bass continue to pulsate and swell back into full power, the giant bass driving on as metallic notes chime and a hi hat ticks before the track ends on the calming melody.

“Crimson Skies” starts with deeply relaxing notes flowing below intensely flashing synth. Gruff bass moves with a quickly leaping drumbeat to generate energetic motion as the flaring synth shines with inspiring luminosity. The melody carried by the main synth is full of celebration, while the richly bouncing low end adds guidance and chimes trickle with shimmering joy.

As the trumpeting melody flies, I feel uplifted and hopeful while the low end pulses on. A broadly dancing synth calls out with dynamic positivity before the track again moves with radiant chords and shiny bells that skip past. The drums flourish as finger snaps move and the lead melody exudes sunlight and happiness as the low end pushes on. The chiming notes are full of starry light while the nasal-sounding, twirling synth sings with a feeling of progress.

The unrelentingly throbbing beat shapes the music as the cascading chimes shine and rich-sounding notes fly outward. I enjoy the thrilling life within the music as it unfolds. Finger snaps add shape as the vocal sounds shift in chopped-up pieces. A synth spills brilliance as it climbs upward. The chimes flicker once and the track goes silent before the massive bass punches and the chiming notes leap again. The beat kicks in, pushing on as the bass dances. Uniquely bending sounds and strings intertwine with liveliness before the song comes to an end.

Bells ring out with haunting serenity as “Solar Genesis” begins. Solid drums punch as the bells move in intertwining lines and the bass begins to pulse with heavy motion. The dense throbbing is cut by hissing drums as tremulous, illuminating synth vibrates. Now the funky guitar adds a groovy element to the track, which flows forth with encouragement and celebratory liveliness.

The powerful low end has a distinctive heartbeat as swelling sounds in the background spill out to surround me, filling me with relaxing sensations. Trembling notes in the distance float as worshipful sounds descend and the drums burst. The chimes are beaming as a guitar slips between them with a gruff sound. Bending notes wander and the rough-edged guitar cries out as it forcefully fills the music.

Gliding, elevated synth caresses the music as the low end continues to pulsate. The way in which the music moves forward combines elegance and strength before the music ends.

Worshipful notes swell and glisten to commence “The Owl.” There is a choir-like quality to the notes before a portentously pulsing bass growls with unambiguous threat. The full-sounding synth carries a melody that is gossamer and ghostly as the steady drum pulse continues.

Brightness flashes from the tightly wound synth as chimes glimmer and the heavily pulsating low end shifts. The metallic, chiming notes tremble and broader bells ring as flickering notes intermingle. I enjoy the hypnotic and powerful quality that the music exudes.

String-like notes swell and the reverent vocal synth is cut by the intensely glowing melody that drifts with a more positive sensation. Well-flowing notes wash above the gigantic bass. Silence falls briefly as the warmly enfolding voices call out and the swirling notes glide hazily. Wind rushes and the scintillating chimes tremble with lively dynamism before the track ends.

“The Moon” opens as a steady, metallic tone floats and glimmering notes descend with clean light. The steady droning note fades as the colossal bass is joined by hard-punching drums and dense low end.

The main melody is gently touching and full of peaceful emotion, while a glockenspiel adds sparkling accents. The drums and bass are a steady heartbeat as the silken synth floats and the glockenspiel echoes. Quickly bending notes are joined by almost wolf-like howls before the music box trips with a haunting feeling.

The drums and bass reverberate while hissing sounds in the distance add a vaguely ominous quality. A wide-sounding, brassy synth carries a luscious melody with a hint of melancholy as the drum pulse continues. A slipping synth wraps around me with tenderness and transports me, evoking moonlight with silvery elegance.

Now the thickly expanding low end continues to pulse as the quickly leaping synth cuts past. Once again, the music box adds a vaguely unsettling quality while the flashing notes cascade. The string-like notes intertwine and gleam before the song closes.

Fragile notes trickle gently as they are joined by a computerized echo to begin “Halo.” Intimidating bass rises as the open, digitized synth wriggles in drifting motion while broadly growling notes sweep past. The melodic pattern has a broken quality that fascinates me, as delicate notes wander. The snare and kick drum become a steady heartbeat as the ringing notes tremble with tender light and a minor-key, roaming melody passes in a lithe line.

The computerized notes drift spectrally as sharply twisting noises move alongside the bursting low end. A tripping synth adds an unsettling quality while the drums pulsate. A steadily shaping, repeating synth pattern wriggles as the low end adds form. The main melody carries an enigmatic energy that I find compelling, while fluting notes twirl past. The roaming melody flows and silence falls before the drums reverberate again and the track ends.

“Ad Astra” starts with a tremulously caressing synth joined by smoothly guiding drums as descending notes emerge with rich, immersive sound. The drums and bass create smooth, forward-moving force beneath the elegantly unfolding synth melody. Chimes add a galactic sparkle behind the affectionate melody that calls out above the dense bass and lightly touching percussion. Rounded notes sail by in the distance while the main melody dances.

I’m affected by the emotionally fragile melodic pattern as it slides past on a nasally elevated synth, putting me at ease. Clapping percussion joins the steadily moving warmth of the synth and echoes carry through the atmosphere. The chimes are full of starlit serenity as the drums tremble and the bass glides. A rich fullness permeates the music as a shimmering synth flickers while the deep notes continue to pulse. The track ends with a peaceful flow as it fades into silence.

Conclusion

The Owl & The Moon is full of feeling and expression, delving deep into humanity with instrumental beauty and skill. The end result is a journey through a rich tapestry of emotional and mental states as the music unfolds.