Chuck Moyer, under the moniker “G Clef Fusion,” returns with his latest collection, Taking a Pulse – it’s the eighth entry in his series of rock/jazz/electronic/fusion EPs broadly named Experiments and Explorations. And this entry’s particular mission? From the man himself: “Taking a Pulse EP was approached with the question of “what if the heyday of Fusion’s inception was in [the] early ‘80s as opposed to [the] early ‘70s?” So, what would ‘70s fusion sound like with the sparkly timbre of ‘80s synths? Stick around for the highlights.
Taking a Pulse begins with “Pressure Cooker.” It kicks off with Prophet-esque synth squirts and bass notes, a more conventional synth organ, and ‘80s-style synth washes. This is an excellent, cleverly performed opener.
The second track, “Whilom Impetus De Susurrus,” with its big, glassy chords, continues painting music in that ‘80s synth aesthetic. With great time changes, an almost marching beat, and some great solo runs, “Whilom Impetus De Susurrus” is a high-energy, brilliantly played second track.
“Voltaic Fuse Triptych” is more sparsely layered, and perhaps a bit more electronic. It features whooshing waves, rhythmic blips, and a soft-spoken lead.
“Bubbling Cauldron of Magic” starts with, well, a bubbling, oscillating synth before hitting a more standard 80s-synth-sounding lead. This one dances about – frolics, one might say. It’s a little more playful in texture and execution.
Closer “Rumble’s Boon” is a little darker, performed with deeper notes and fatter, bricklaying synths. With occasional higher register splashes, the song, making ostensibly chaotic but actually clever and abrupt time changes, presents a consistent mood of moving parts and fire-belching industry. This is an interesting, very dynamic track.
But is it good?
If you like incredible keyboard wizardry and layers of frothing, blipping, darting and bouncing synths, you’re going to LOVE the eighth installment of G Clef Fusion’s Experiments and Explorations saga, Taking a Pulse. I certainly had to retake mine after listening caused quite a spike. Recommended, and I look forward to the release of Part Nine.
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BELOW: Listen to Taking a Pulse and check out G Clef Fusion on Bandcamp, Facebook, and ReverbNation. Please support G Clef Fusion by visiting his website and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.
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