Sunesis - Orbital
Review by Karl Magi
Overall Album Impressions
Sunesis’ Orbital evokes everything diaphanous and melancholy as it tells the tale of a lonely space traveler’s journey through the stars. Sunesis combines her ethereal vocals, emotive songwriting and atmospheric synth palette to paint aching, floating imagery. The end result is affecting and keeps me returning to this cosmic story as it reveals itself.
Sunesis’ voice has a quality of airy delicacy in it when she sings that adds wistful emotion to the words she writes. Her songs contain melancholy within them that is ideally captured in her voice. The way in which the two elements combine, hits me right in the heart with feelings, carrying me away into another realm.
Atmosphere drenches the music of Orbital. The way in which Sunesis mingles the different synths in her palette creates sensations of mournful emotion, deep peace and wide open vistas of stars. I enjoy the way in which the music glides and drifts, slipping past while darker shadings touch the tracks and drums throb.
I also enjoy the way in which Orbital tells a story. Each track adds another layer to the overall tale, carrying me through this intergalactic exploration, building one from the other into a richly interwoven whole.
My Favourite Tracks Analyzed
“Onboarding Medley” begins as fragile, floating synth is joined by incredibly massive bass that slowly interlocks into a swirling pattern. Nasal-sounding, tightly wound synth wanders in a pulsing pattern as widely whirling notes echo behind it. Meandering, rounded synth shifts with an aching tinge while sharper, brighter notes cut and twinkling chimes descend.
Digital-sounding, broadly reverberating notes call out in a melody that dreams and glides while chimes sparkle and dense drums form a guiding pulse. Panpipes breathe out in wonderfully tender breaths as glistening synth calls out and misty arpeggios twirl. Soft-edged synth creates a delicate pattern and planing notes extend as a flaring sound slices in. Open-voiced notes slip past and fade into bass darkness while chimes flicker.
Lush, broadly shining synth arpeggios spin out into vast space, radiant and peaceful as gritty bass climbs to start “Galaxy Empress.” Digital sparkles flicker past and a bubbling sound briefly moves through the track.Triumphant bass climbs, touched by softly tapping drums as glistening arpeggios rise over the shadow below them.
Rounded, warm notes drift and a tender voice calls. Flaring synth trembles glassily into the openness swelling around it. All of the layered sounds create peaceful, introspective feelings in me. I can picture a grand, galactic vista flowing past my starship window as the music unfolds.
Now soothing, transcendent synths bend with a melancholy quality as gliding underpinnings tremble. Soft-edged notes wash along with vibrating, medium-high synth shivering lightly as bubbling sounds float briefly. The worshipful, wordless vocal melody flits past as gruff bass growls far below. Guiding drums keep shaping the music before we fade on darkness and a delicate higher note.
“Black PrismA” opens as fresh and cool sounding synth forms a rippling motion over smoothly guiding drums and thudding bass. A snare drum ticks and springy synth spins in the distance. Sweeping sounds slides as a soft-edged, lambent synth trails delicately over the extended pads.
Flatly tapping percussion is joined by deadly bass growling and a steady kick drum pulsating. Trumpeting, choppy synth blares out as taut arpeggios twirl while the drumbeat guides the track. Wandering synth sweeps while natural sounds shiver. Ethereal, haunted synth glides and threatening bass snarls as the open air rushes.
The lost and tragic melody flows through the space surrounding it. Once again, giant bass trembles along with a tensely vibrating synth. Tremulous synth is joined by gently floating sounds to give me feelings of disconnection and mournful emotion. Slowly flickering sounds trickle while tense strings undulate and the track fades out.
Tranquility and melancholy flow from Sunesis’ airy voice and a sliding synth before massive, rich bass rises to open “Silence." Drums tick to shape the track while ringing synth floats out as Sunesis’ softly emotive voice carries the pained melody.
Tightly curling notes glisten delicately and bass throbs while the drums guide the song. Now the drums move alone before lush bass growls and bell-like notes slip past ethereally.
The background rises in misty flow as radiant notes expand and raised synth planes in long lines. Sunesis effectively captures the expression in the lyrics, feeling pouring out from her voice before silence falls.
Loss and ache, yearning and melancholy come together in this song. Our storyteller opens by saying that “you can be yourself here, away from all the fear.” She’s found a way to remain above the waves “a day away” but right now she’s enslaved by her thoughts.
The narrator feels that she’s still not drowning but “I'm sinking down in words that don't mean a thing.” She addresses the song’s subject and to tell that person “we both know something - I can’t keep going on.”
She doesn't want to “give in to the rain” and her face shows all of her feelings when she can’t give herself to the other person. She wants to hide her eyes from the song’s subject because “it's been hurting me to see everything I became.”
Our storyteller concludes, “Mirrors still see the same and I don't know how to stop it.”
"Moon Motel - Intermission 2” commences as creamy bass slides below sweeping, slightly gruff synth trembles into the easy flow around it. Hollow drums and a soft hi hat tick add form as whistling notes distantly hover.
Tranquil, cooling synth floats out as the drifting, sharp-edged notes slip through. I feel a weight lifting from my shoulders as I listen. The percussion is feathery and shapes the track while exhaling synth provides a peaceful feeling as tremendous bass finishes the track.
Cosmically vibrating synth shivers above static hiss to create a spaced out and haunted feeling as “New Horizon - Terra Version” starts off. Active percussion pulsates to create powerful propulsion as wandering, broad sounding synth glides in slowly undulating motion.
Drums and bass throb with galactic power as Sunesis’ voice airily calls out while widely sailing synth creates a slowly roaming pattern. Digital sounds trickle past while the low end moves.
The relaxed sensations of the gritty synth as it shifts puts me at ease. There’s a shadowy tinge to the lead synth line as it trembles and open-voiced percussion throbs. The track ends on sparkling, delicate synth carrying a pained melody.
Conclusion
Orbital drips with atmosphere, musical imagery and emotional depth. Sunesis weaves a luscious sonic journey as the music unfolds and I am appreciative of the way in which she can draw feelings out of me through sound.
