Out Runner - Stellar Drifter
Review by Karl Magi
Overall Album Impressions
Out Runner’s Stellar Drifter carries me on a musical quest through the wonders of the inconceivably vast universe in which we live. Out Runner uses his considerable musical talent and imagination to paint bold imagery and convey emotions that move from immense joy through melancholy and into meditative states. As he skillfully evokes the glories and terrors of the universe, Out Runner uses his guitar to imbue the music with deep feeling, while the synths help to show the listener towering galactic structures and sparkling stars that hang in the broad expanse of darkness around them.
One of Stellar Drifter’s most appealing features is Out Runner’s impressive guitar talent. Not only can he dance over the strings with his nimble fingers, but he can also draw strong emotion from me as he does so. Each of the guitar melodies and solos expresses some essential quality of each track’s atmosphere. Sometimes the guitar howls the blues and other times it creates a feeling of faster-than-light motion. Whatever is being invoked is done so passionately and with consummate ability.
Another strong reason why I am so compelled by Stellar Drifter is the way in which imagery is created through synthesized layers. Out Runner builds up a richly realized feeling of cosmic travel as he carefully chooses different synth sounds. Each element weaves together to paint nebula clusters, distant worlds and starfields that cross unimaginable distances. I feel as though I am staring out through the viewport of a spacecraft as I observe these tremendous sights.
Melody is another reason I am drawn to Stellar Drifter. Out Runner writes melodies that drive right to the heart of each track's emotional expression. The way in which his melodic writing can clearly touch me and fill me with everything from joy to intense pain is a revelation. It simply adds to the luscious tapestry of feeling, atmosphere and energy created by all of the other sonic elements at work.
My Favourite Tracks Analyzed
“Beyond the Void” comes to life as ephemerally delicate, chiming synth echoes out into vastness. Strings begin to swell in the distance, adding a light touch as towering bass flows beneath them and trickling notes float into the space around them. Out Runner’s guitar cries out with haunting depth, radiating pain and a sense of unmoored wandering.
The bass begins to rush in a steady pulse as the drums pound and brilliant synth pours out a melody that conveys nobility and a sense of wild exploration. As the drums and bass form a heartbeat, a luminous synth carries the melody, painting an image of the galaxy unfolding in starry, massive forms. The synth hovers broadly, while the bass is touched by fragile and achingly tender notes, soothing and full of a chance to breathe.
I am calmed by this lull, but already the twirling notes in the distance begin to add energy. An echoing sound drifts past as chiming notes intertwine and flicker. Shimmering sounds slip through in the distance, tentative and breathy, before the song falls into silence.
Tentative, tragedy-tinged synth with a widely floating quality slips in, accompanied by live chords that intermingle and bass that adds richness, kicking off “Interstellar Pathways.” The main melody wanders through the music with aching loss as the gigantic bass provides support, bursting into a more active pulse as scintillating notes carry the noble melody, drawing pictures of starry expanses extending beyond sight.
The music returns to a tentative, tremulous segment in which Out Runner’s guitar calls out with gruff emotion, filling me with contemplation. The bass quickly oscillates as glowing notes with a sharp edge drift into space. The drums return and a trumpeting synth calls out with a melody that is triumphant yet dreamy, as the bass forms a steady, supporting motion.
The guitar howls once more, embodying emotional intensity and painful feelings, while the bass rumbles and tiny notes glimmer like faraway galaxies. The guitar is beautifully played, filling me with a sensation of calm and thoughtful consideration. The drums keep pulsing as the guitar swells with emotion, growing more affecting. The track ends on shining guitar notes climbing higher and higher.
"Night Crusader" begins with solar wind sweeping and a single note, raised at the end, echoing into endless space. The single high note slowly becomes a wandering pattern and the smoothly intertwining notes in the distance are joined by a lightly guiding drumbeat and solid bass gliding out. Iridescent arpeggios twirl through the music, growing in power as they pierce the darkness.
Out Runner’s guitar carries a melody that is aching and full of expression, weaving out alongside the breathy synth as easily rippling notes form an billowing pattern. The guitar floats, suspended in space, touching my heart with the emotive depths Out Runner expresses in each note. The drums and bass rebound, a steady guide for the impassioned guitar. The melody that the guitar carries is melancholy yet balanced by a hopeful tinge.
In the distance, tremulous, twinkling notes hang in open space as the guitar exudes ardent expression. A sense of heartfelt sincerity fills the soloistic guitar before the track glides and slides to an end.
Slowly drifting, mournful synth echoes into openness as fragile, tentatively warm notes float to start “Into the Stars.” A sharper, cleaner synth sound slices through to add brightness and the surrounding synth wanders with ethereal delicacy.
A steady bass throb moves below the main melody that calls out with painful sadness and a sense of loss. The cutting notes slice through above the gigantic bass and the heavy drums create a heartbeat. A melody comes in, mingling power with more tragic emotion as the drums collide and the synth pulsates. The synth exudes cosmic luminosity as it calls out above the darkness below.
A gossamer sound hovers and a twisting, echoing synth flares out in one long chord. The track returns to peaceful contemplation and the guitar cries out with intensely piercing emotion, tangling in a solo that is both gentle and moving. The guitar leaps out as a wave of washing sound moves behind it.
The main melody exudes starry light as the heaving drums and bass add shape. I find the track’s mixture of galactic drifting and energetic strength compelling. The huge drums continue to rebound as the main melody illuminates the space around it. The guitar wanders in gossamer lines that combine a bluesy feeling and a sense of yearning, swelling out now before the track comes to an end.
“Dusk” opens as long synth sweeps call out above bubbling notes that intertwine in an active pattern and a snare drum begins to tick quietly. The music’s wavy flow lifts me and carries me above the vast structures of cosmic dust and stars.
Radiant synth moves out into the openness around it as the drums accelerate and the bass pulses. The main melody is carried on a synth that shines like a supernova, expressing dynamic movement and progress. There's a crescendo and solar wind blows through the music as the tentatively trickling notes flicker past.
Flaring synth wanders in a slowly spreading pattern as the breathy sounds shift and the rebounding drums throb above the luscious bass. The brightness becomes intense, filling me with a sense of boundless possibility, painting pictures of a great starry veil. Out Runner’s guitar enters the music with propulsive liveliness, flying out with expanding motion that fills me with excitement.
The drums and bass explode below the intricately intertwining, skillfully played solo before the song drifts to silence with broadly luminous notes fading away.
Incredibly tranquil synth slips outward into openness as shivering sounds below begin to expand and the bass grows massively to begin “Stellar Drifter.” The main melody is carried on a deeply meditative synth, full of settling feeling, as undulating arpeggios add motion while the drums slowly rebound.
The drum beat accelerates now and the gleaming synth carrying the main melody sings out as the melody itself unwinds with thrilling expression. The drums and bass rebound while dancing notes interlock. The track smoothly transitions as it floats across staggeringly huge spaces while the light of distant stars filters through cosmic dust clouds.
As the bass trembles, breathing sounds add a sweeping quality, while the arpeggio that sharply twirls also shines with glimmering luminosity. The drums rebound slowly as the track evolves before accelerating, while the washing tide of shining light fills the music. The drums create a driving beat as the elevated synth exudes a galactic glow.
Now the track becomes fragile as a feathery synth touches the music and a swelling, trumpeting sound moves through space. Images of a spacecraft passing through the immemorial reaches of outer space intensify as the light of the synth evokes a distant sun. Power grows in the music as the solar wind gusts again and Out Runner’s guitar trembles through the music, cascading and resounding in an inspiring solo, carrying my heart upward with it as I am lifted before the track ends.
Conclusion
Stellar Drifter has quickly become one of my favourites so far this year. Out Runner has captured me with the sheer scope and emotional power of this album.
His ability to take me on a journey and paint cinematic imagery of space travel stands out, along with his impressive guitar chops and ability to write engaging melodies that deepen the listening experience.
