Once upon a time, the Canadian singer and songwriter Jordana Moon teamed up with German composer and producer Tom Aries (Moon and Aries) and they ended up with one hell of a debut album. The Arrival was released last year, bringing electronic arrangements and delicate vocals, and an interesting dynamic. Now, the electropop duo is back with their new project: Break The Matrix.
The album was released in three parts beginning last September and has already been covered by us up until this point (check out episodes Episode One, Episode Two, and Episode Three), so now it’s time to take a listen to the full project as it was intended. It’s a concept album composed of nine tracks, and it features the most diverse mixture of textures and nuances: we have here their unique brand of electropop, this time also featuring elements of trip-hop, synthpop, and even some trance thrown in. And it overall works so well! So let’s dive in:
By this point, all of the nine tracks that make up Break The Matrix were already released as the previous EPs/chapters. So, in reality, what we got on this that is new is the tracklist order. And boy, it matters! It’s amazing to listen to Break The Matrix in its entirety in the correct order that the artists intended.
The album just flows, from one element to the other, starting out with the immediate highlight “Illumination Society”. One of the best of the project, it opens the album really well with its slow synths and immaculate vocal performance from Jordana, especially in the chorus as she sings ‘ring the alarm, I’m committed to this feeling‘.
From there on in, the duo experiments with electronic elements and make everything work. “The Butterfly Effect” and “Never for Me” are nice addictions and great examples of what the band can do with trip-hop, adding layers of effects over sensual melodies and heartfelt lyrics.
Then we get to “Rescued”, perhaps the most pop and accessible song on the record, with string and beats that feel warm and cozy – a feeling amped up by the lyrics that go ‘I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone, we are here‘. It leaves you with a good feeling in your gut and prepares you for the explosion that is “From Another Dimension”. On this track, the two explore their trance side with psychedelic arrangements and operatic vocals – another obvious highlight from Break The Matrix for me.
Things simmer down a bit over the next tracks, “Codes and Circles” and “The In Between”, featuring more straightforward electropop with slower bits and a higher focus on metaphors and extremely visual lyrics like ‘be aware of me, I’m like the water. I’m the silk in your sheets‘ on the latter. These two, especially “The In Between”, feature a very hopeful feeling to them – even if it gets a bit menacing at times in their visuals. There’s also an amazing overlapping of vocals that elevate them to the heavens and it’s so soothing to hear.
As the album closes with “Closer and Closer” and “Losing Control”, we pick up the pace once again with pounding drums and ethereal vocal performances that feel both strong and soft, always keeping the same warmth. The lyrics of “Closer and Closer” seem to tell a story about a union strike or a group of people gathering to take action for the first time. It’s a very powerful song that conveys that feeling of unity and striving for control without ever sounding overbearing.
The closing track “Losing Control” ends things on a very interesting note: it was part of the very first chapter of the original release, and it’s also the only song featuring Tom on vocals. “Losing Control”‘s lyrics go from hopelessness to hopefulness in a matter of seconds and it’s a very, very interesting dynamic to listen to. It definitely ends the album on the highest of notes!
Break The Matrix is an incredibly and carefully curated piece of work, highlighting the duo’s strengths and exploring electronic sounds to their fullest. The band’s statement is to “overcome the old World and build the new World with a fusion of nostalgic and futuristic celestial sounds, like nothing you have heard before”; and that’s exactly what we get. A truly outstanding and remarkable album.
BREAK THE MATRIX BY MOON ARIES IS OUT NOW!
Don’t forget to support this project and follow Moon and Aries on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. You can also visit their official website.
It also helps to stream and share their music; you can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Alterindie State Of Mind, Female Rising Stars, 12 New Songs This Week, Sickest & Dopest, and Unknown But Essentials!
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you can subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists that we have presented here!
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This coverage was created via MusoSoup #Sustainablecurator
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