It’s easy to see why Luxembourg electronic musician Victor Ferreira, a.k.a. Sun Glitters, is described on his Facebook page as “summer-obsessed” and “sun-drenched.” The latest from the artist, Scattered into Light, out November 30 via Mush Records, is a hazy slice of summer in the middle of winter. Scattered into Light is a kinetic album that combines dreamy shoegaze with the frenetic sound of electronic music. It’s a marriage that works for Sun Glitters, creating an album that although can feel as inconsequential as a lazy summer day, has some depth scattered throughout.
Sun Glitters employs all the tricks of the electronic trade and some fun ones, like clapping or a pound on the piano. Ferreira also benefits from the female vocals of Italian artist Sara Cappai of Diverting Duo. Her slight, sometimes vague accent makes tracks sound more exotic. Her voice is dreamy and sometimes far-off, a nice juxtaposition to the occasionally mechanical sound produced by electronic music. The songs range in length from a little over three minutes to almost five minutes long. Not all of the tracks are successful and occasionally come off as repetitive, going on about thirty seconds too long. Luckily, Scattered succeeds more often than not.
Opening track “When the Train Comes” is a kinetic way to start the album. It invokes images of moving train wheels and the underlying beat has an almost urgent quality to it. “Train” is one of the tracks that employ clapping. Cappai’s vocals add a sense of longing to the song, upping its depth. “I, You, We… Know” has an upbeat opening. The song’s title is repeated over and over again. Cappai’s voice is overlaid with pulsing male vocals, creating a cool effect. The male vocals are drawn out and slow, a nice contrast to Cappai’s breathy voice. It creates a bit of a head-trip for the listener.
The pulsing undercurrent flows into the next track, “Three, Four Days.” The lyrics are more abundant, a nice addition to the music. “Lonely Trip” starts with more energy then layers an electronic scuttling sound. The effect is melancholy when paired with lyrics about mending. The eponymous track has a perky keyboard intro and an awesome beat. The interlude toward the end is used well, too. The last song, “Too Much to Lose” is an acoustic song that sounds good stripped down with just an acoustic guitar as accompaniment. Ferreira shows off his range as an artist and Cappai’s voice is perfectly suited for the guitar.
Scattered into Light is like a lake, shallow in certain areas but spotted with deeper parts. It’s a fun album that shows Ferreira is a talented artist who knows his strengths. - In Your Speakers |
1XLP/Not Yet Released