Bleep: Majeure, Chrome Canyon Get Sci-Fi With Analog Synths

Vee Hua 華婷婷2 min readSeptember 24, 2012Add comment

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Bleep is a column focusing on varying degrees of electronic music news, videos and MP3s. In this post, ’80s sci-fi influences electronics are given their due as Majeure and Chrome Canyon churn out analog synth-layered landscapes like nobody’s business.

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Chrome Canyon

We begin with the well-reputed New York-based musician Chrome Canyon, whose latest record, Elemental Themes, will come out on Stones Throw on October 9th. This music video for “Branches”, directed by the solo artist Morgan Z himself, was inspired by the visually-stunning Koyaanisqatsi, for which you can view a trailer below. Unlike Majeure, to follow, the sounds of Chrome Canyon occasionally has more terrestrial grounding to tie it back to earth as we know it. This comes in the form of chopped vocal samples, straight-forward drums, live bass and guitar, and occasional Bach-like compositions of madness. Not to mention the elusive sounds of the Theremin.

Elemental Themes tracklisting to follow after the jump.

CHROME CANYON – “BRANCHES”

KOYAANISQATSI TRAILER

 

Chrome Canyon (cont’d)

October 2nd, 2012 Update:
CHROME CANYON – ELEMENTAL THEMES FULL ALBUM STREAM

CHROME CANYON – ELEMENTAL THEMES TRACKLISTING
1. Beginnings
2. Pluze
3. Legends
4. Branches
5. Elemental Themes
6. Cave of Light
7. Generations
8. Chasing The Dead
9. Sacred Mountain
10. Memories of a Scientist
11. Signs from an Old World
12. Carfire on the Highway

 

Majeure

In 2010, Majeure helped me realize that I want my ’80s analog synth-loving cheeks to be stroked all day by the delicate touch of A.E. Paterra of Zombi and his alien hand. His last record, Timespan was full of disco and dance-centric space rock, but his latest epic recording, Solar Maximum, flies through generally more relaxed territories to catch a glimpse of the sun as one crests over the horizon of another planet on “Solar Maximum” or picture perfect moments of space love on “Extreme Northern Lights”… and occasionally picks up energy for more fast-moving images of rovers navigating through rough terrains, like on “Geneva Spur”.

Solar Maximum comes out October 16th on Temporary Residence Ltd.

MAJEURE – SOLAR MAXIMUM TRACKLISTING
1. Maximum Overture
2. Solar Maximum
3. Caribbean King
4. Extreme Northern Lights
5. Geneva Spur
6. Solar Maximum 2

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Vee Hua 華婷婷

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Managing Editor of South Seattle Emerald, and Co-Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Vee has two narrative short films. Searching Skies (2017) touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States; with it, they helped co-organize The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia. Reckless Spirits (2022) is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy for a bleak new era, in anticipation of a feature-length project.

Vee is passionate about cultural space, the environment, and finding ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. They also regularly share observational human stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!, and are pursuing a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the Native American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota.

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