09 April 2023

REFLECTOR – Echo Colonnade (2023, LP Sulatron Records)

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Sulatron Records

Format: LP, Album, Limited Edition, 180gr recycle Vinyl, Randomly Colored, 500 copies (comes with Download Code)

Release Date: 10 Feb 2023

Reflector is a new Space-Rock band, hailing from Ukraine and Sula Bassana’s Sulatron Records is responsible for Reflector’s debut album, a vinyl LP release called “Echo Colonnade”.

Let’s have a look at the press release to get an idea of what’s all about:

“Echo Colonnade is an album written, produced, and recorded by REFLECTOR in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine. Our journey from the very start till the release of the record lasted from 2016 to 2020 and we have faced a lot of challenges along the way. The three of us had to record using what we had in an abandoned basement and Sasha’s improvised home studio, it’s been a tough but exciting journey. The name of the album “Echo Colonnade” actually has a story behind it. It was inspired by a real colonnade in our hometown Bila Tserkva. The interesting thing about it is that we took the sound of echo from the colonnade and used it while creating the reverberation for the record. So it’s safe to say that this iconic sight has had a noticeable impact on our sound. But the story doesn’t end there, the beautiful, yet mysterious artwork for the record created by Andrii also captures the concept of a colonnade in a pretty unique, and captivating way. Some of the listeners have compared it to the painting by René Magritte called “The Voice of Space”. In conclusion, the colonnade theme just ties everything together and might mean something special to every listener.
Our sound has been heavily influenced by space and kraut rock scene. It’s got a cosmic atmosphere all over it, with motorik grooves alongside fascinating repeating delay guitar sounds and synth. The passion for this type of music is what has brought us together and inspired us to create something of our own. We are trying our best to move forward during these difficult times during war. It’s needless to say that being able to release our music for people to enjoy is the next big step and a huge motivation for us. This is why we are incredibly excited to finally share our music with the world”…

“Echo Colonnade” consists of 6 songs, 3 on each side of the LP, while the tracks have no titles, just Latin numbers… The opener “I” starts under a cold weird and full of mystery cosmic field of ‘spacey soundings’, but slowly the Krauty adventurous beat takes over and the track is automatically ejected over the Stratosphere, powerful drumming, even more, powerful and full of energy hot shimmering guitar licks while the ecstatic motor-beat leads the tune to the Deep Space… On the next one, “II”, the motoric Beats are in full ‘technicolor’ Glory! There’s an amazing Neo-Krauty Space-Rock atmosphere, dynamic, upbeat, and full of ‘delay’, of course, the Synth is discreetly following… With “III”, the band makes a huge dive into the Dark Cold Infinite Space, some Space Ambience spreads all over while that “cursed” Carefull-With-That-Axe atmos is in full show as the track gets darker and dives deeper into an isolated SPACEY environment, slowly hopelessly trying to get out of there, becoming faster and more Space-Rock oriented and shamelessly flirting with Kraut-Rock reaching a harder edge towards its end… Over to side ‘B’, now… “IV” starts under a Neo-Krauty motive but this time it seems that Reflector’s style of Kraut is kind of aggressive, full of energy, with super heavy guitars, a track that keeps on accelerating till its last second/note/breath… “V” introduces a creepy n’ cold Drone-y kind of Spacey intro that lasts for the first three minutes, slowly the track transforms into a Neo-Krauty Psychotic Space Capsule with tons of ‘lazy’ heavy guitars and a slow beat that manages to lead the space-craft to its safe cathode… “VI” uses the ‘established’ by now Spacey-Effected-Intro, that band presents a colorful Neo-Krauty fine blend of Space-Rock, synth-oriented, and perfectly executed! So, Reflector delivered a fine Neo-Space Rock album and I believe the future gates are wide open for them… After all, Space is the Place… TimeLord Michalis