With the ever-growing synth scene in Ottawa, industrious artists like Hard Science (pseudonym of local artist Arturo Brisindi) are starting to make real waves in the city’s continuously evolving music pool. “Dreaming In Stereo” is Hard Science’s debut LP and consists of 11 brilliantly crafted synth pop tracks. It features several Ottawa-based artists who lend their talents on a few select tracks throughout the record: Olexandra Pruchnicky and Caleb Abbott contributing on vocals, Jason Redmond on bass, and Jose Palacios on guitar. Dreaming in Stereo is a piece of musical art that was almost a decade in the making, but the effort, time, and dedication really shine through, and the outcome is clearly well worth it.
Through loud stereo speakers on a delicious slice of 160gram vinyl, this is synth pop at its finest. The clean-sounding, well-recorded, intoxicating LP will stop you in your tracks and compel you to sit back and consume the entire album in one sitting, time and again. (Clearly, having a physical copy isn’t a requirement to enjoy this gem of an album, but if you have a record player, I would strongly recommend springing for the vinyl.) It’s perfectly catchy and expertly arranged into a solid 39 minutes of pure entertainment and talent.
The album is impeccably balanced, offering pure instrumental synth pop tracks and a satisfying peppering of tracks with lyrics that offer the right amount of texture and depth. The entire album demonstrates that sometimes you need to go all in, and sometimes you just need to let the music speak for itself:
Hard Science flawlessly creates very distinct and unique individual tracks without ever letting things get muddled or repetitive as the album plays through. Dreaming In Stereo just gets better with every subsequent listen as you discover rich new layers and dreamy sounds to love even more than the first, second, and even third time around. While it is difficult to pick only one that stands out, I must draw attention to the title track and its four minutes of classic synth pop perfection, paired with the most fitting vocals by Caleb Abbott:
The album starts out strong and never once loses steam, closing out with the shortest track that’s just as dreamy and poppy as every preceding track.
Still not sure if you’re into the synth pop thing? Well take a listen; this album will convince you. You can check out & purchase Dreaming In Stereo (also on vinyl!) on Hard Science’s bandcamp, and be notified of upcoming news and shows by following him on Facebook.
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