004 - Project Lazarus - ждите Нас Звезды!

Note: The pictures contained within were provided by Project Lazarus to give the readers an inside view of his studio and equipment.

 

I struggled greatly writing this review.  Part of me wants to just write "amazing album, go listen!" Alas, I couldn't bring myself to do it.  This release is a massive beast - a bear if you will - 20 tracks of unique synthwave with no weak points in the entire album.  Project Lazarus takes the concept of "sovietwave" and embraces it.

ждите Нас Звезды! tells the story of a lone cosmonaut named Yuri and his voyage to Planet 9.  The song composition is simple, even minimal in its execution.  Melodies encapsulate emotive expressions of nostalgia, melancholy, sorrow, joy, urgency, and hopelessness.  The songs are straightforward and simple, yet expertly constructed, and the production is otherworldly.

What truly differentiates this release from many of its other synthwave contemporaries is the production.  Picture a 1960's episode of Lost in Space or Star Trek.  What type of feelings does that evoke?  Picture again a classic science fiction movie... maybe The Day the Earth Stood Still, or 2001: a Space Odyssey.  Those feelings, that nostalgia for retrofuturism - through the lens of the USSR - is the sound that Project Lazarus has captured on this album.

The synths have a muddy, staticy tone to them that bring feelings of nostalgia for something that has never occured.  They were achieved by recording much of the album on reel to reel using an AKAI 400DS and mastering directly to a nakamichi MR1 cassette deck (additional sounds came from an Access virus ti, a Dave Smith Prophet, and Arturia).  The end result is exceptional in the tone that it delivers and truly elevates the album to another level.

Aside from the production, the album pacing is impeccable.  At no point throughout the 20 tracks does the album overstay its welcome.  Small changes are placed at opportune moments, giving the album a cohesive yet diverse feel.  The entire record seems to have been designed with a double LP release from the start.   Each disc's first track evokes a very strong tone for what to expect: дней минувших воздуха глоток opens disc one with hope, nostalgia and a hint of loneliness.  It even starts out with a recording of Alexei Leonov as he became the first human being to step into outer space on March 18 1965.  Whereas Прибытие quietly opens disc two with a sense of the unknown, caution and perhaps a bit of curiosity.

The strongest pacing comes on side D on the record (the last five songs on the album).  A sense of drive and determination builds on поющие волны and climaxes in старинное будущее.  The remaining songs begin to lose the sense of momentum, with Сквозь пространство и время displaying a sense of strong desperation.  The album concludes with Это Не Конец, an ambient track that begs the question, was this journey worth it? Is this the end? Or is this just a new beginning? (Translate the title for the answer)

Every song on this album is above average, however some elevate above even this to become truly great. луч is a fine example.  It begins with a simple alternating melody going through a short progression.  Additional melodies and minimal percussion are added whimsically but the starting melody remains the primary focus of the song, giving it a strong sense of identity.  The production truly makes this track shine, adding just a tint of reverb and ambiguity, it brings about a sense of melancholy.  The lone cosmonaut traveling through the endless void of space to an unknown destination watching the distant stars fly by.  Probably my favorite composition on this massive album.

Ri9 has a simple arpeggiated melody that steers the song through its four minute duration.  What truly makes this song stand out however is the percussion.  It has a deep driving tone with what sounds almost like 808's layered over the kick drum.  Nowhere else on the album is the percussion highlighted as it is here and the effect is staggering.  It gives the track a dark and even dangerous feel making it unique on the album.

The aforementioned старинное будущее is perhaps the best example on the album on how Project Lazarus is able to evoke a specific emotion.  There is a sense of exploration and wonder paired with a sense of danger on this track.  Each of the instrumental portions helps drive the cacophony of emotions into a cohesive unit.  The wonder is driven by subtle chimes and the main synthesizer, the danger by a low hum.  It all comes together extremely well and demonstrates Project Lazarus' mastery over his craft.

в космос! and Это Не Конец bookend the first and second half of the albums with ambience.  Each one acting as the closing of a chapter in the story of Yuri.  The lack of percussion in these two tracks act as a period of reflection for the listener: what did we just experience? Both are excellent not only musically but for the entire structure of the album.

The album has that rare quality where each song stands on its own, but also the whole is a cohesive unit that when experienced from start to finish is nothing short of a masterwork.  From the first notes of дней минувших воздуха глоток to the final tones of Это Не Конец the album hammers home what "sovietwave" is.

There is an accompanying book that comes with the physical release of this album.  I highly recommend reading it at some point during the musical journey.  It will add context to what the music is communicating and it put many things into focus for me.  The book is a  small detail that could have been entirely omitted, but the release offers a more complete experience with its inclusion.

All of that said, you can edit this entire review down - with a sickle if needed - to my original statement... amazing album, go listen!

Acknowledgements

Thank you Project Lazarus for providing information on the recording of the album, and sharing some wonderful behind the scenes pictures.  Project Vill4in for releasing the album physically.  Additional thanks to Blissmonkey for editing and promoting the reviews.