Every cool and uncool musical movement of the 80s has experienced a rebirth, so it’s no surprise that that era’s New Age sounds are also experiencing a resurgence, especially given the heavy saturation of yoga studios in urban centres. CFCF (aka Montreal’s Mike Silver) started his career making laid-back synth disco, but his recent material has focused increasingly on the interplay between his serious, experimental, ambient influences and shimmering, floaty, meditation-soundtrack vibes. Radiance And Submission adds acoustic guitar and vocals into that mix, evoking an even sleepier Bon Iver at times.
The more conventionally New Age tracks that dominate the first half are the weakest. Things start to get interesting on Tethered In Dark, when the acoustic guitar arpeggios and synths lock together into hypnotic loops. The brightest spots come still later, when Silver’s soft vocals begin to give the songs a sharper focus and a human vulnerability. I’m still not convinced that cheesy synthetic choir pads need to make a comeback though.
Top track: The Ruined Map
