Most music falls into neat and obvious pigeon-holes. But that is usually because most music is reminiscent of something, even if in the smallest of ways, that has gone before. The problem and it is a good problem to have, with the music that ColSeth makes, is that it is difficult to find a precedent either in the present musical landscape or the past musical canon. At times, it doesn’t even sound as if it is music born of this world. Forget world music; this is otherworldy music.
The aptly named Stellar Illusions seems to be music woven from a raft of drifting folk finesse and ambient sonic winds, it plays with everything from indie vibes to pop beats, shimmering acoustics and liquid sounds.
“Lofi Kingdom” is the perfect example of how out of this world the music is. It drifts into consciousness rather than being heard in the usual sense. Its blend of chime and charm seems to cocoon the listener, and its ethereal grandeur is absorbed via some sort of osmosis rather than being perceived via the senses in the usual fashion.
“Shot at the Moon” takes into a hazy, dream-pop place, “Duel Over Neptune” has a more urban vibe to it, and “Night Shift” veers off into more soulful territory.
But even these pointers and descriptions don’t go that far in summing up what is going on here. It is dreamlike, delirious, and delicate, but the only way to really understand what is going on is to play the album for yourself, and even then, you will still end up beautifully confused but also sonically satisfied.
