Crystal - Reflection Overdrive - [Vinyl]

Late 2020 saw the release of CRYSTAL's Ecco Funk EP, inspired by 1992 Sega Megadrive classic Ecco the Dolphin. And hot off the back of those small-scale synth explorations, the duo kick things off in 2021 with their second full-length release, Reflection Overdrive. The scene is set with YMO-inspired 'Disco na Koi', a bouncy track that also takes melodic cues from John Lennon's 'Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him'. Between the phasing chords and kalimba synth, Ryota Miyake (vocals, composition) stretches out his voice with lines about microbes dancing in a forest. CRYSTAL has always been experimental, but this album sees the duo returning to their roots — taking an '80s retro-futurist approach to synth but refitting it with bold, modern sensibilities. But inspiration also seeps into the release via '90s pop outfits like Kome Kome Club, Wink and Ippu-Do, further solidifying the duo's unique sound that steers clear of city pop revivalism. True to form, frenetic basslines rip through the album: tracks like the 'Phantom Gizmo', strewn with MIDI, and the album reworking of Ecco Funk's titular single. Elsewhere, Matias Aguaiyo lends his talents to 'Kimi wa Monster', complete with its angular, collage construction, and Vincent Ruiz playing bass on the frantic 'Taxi Hard', which sounds something akin to a cosmic racetrack. But CRYSTAL's latest outing isn't always about breakneck speed. It also takes time to sit and reflect. One moment you're swimming through space age undersea soundscapes in the form of 'Solidary Sonar' — a nod to Sheila E. — the next you're in the midst of Gorillaz-esque melancholy in 'TV Fuzz', featuring Juli�n Mayorga on vocals. With influences taken from far and wide, Reflection Overdrive is true to its name: a mirror held up to music, styles and artists that have come before, all reflected through a magnifying lens of boundless creativity for a true journey of an album.

Crystal - Reflection Overdrive - [Vinyl]

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