 The intent suggested by Seabound's name - leaving the sanctuary of home to embark on a journey into the unknown - gives some insight into what is to be found on their latest offering.
Marking itself out as one of synth-pop's more intriguing recent developments, Beyond Flatline is a full-bodied, multi-faceted affair that is both tumultuous and tame in equal measure. Beyond Flatline is as challenging as it is captivating - full of electrical intricacies and unexpected nuances that flood the senses. The result is a listening journey that takes its electronic elements, shatters them into pieces, and lays the shards at the feet of the listener, whose task it is re-assemble and process the result.
Though it is not without its clumsy moments, Beyond Flatline's cocktail of techno beats and transient ambience makes for an album full of catchiness, quirkiness and unexpected movements and mood swings. Tracks such as Soul Diver and Torch could be likened to Depeche Mode at their more adventurous, whilst Poisonous Friend and Go International have a more dramatic, cinematic depth to them.
From this evidence, it is no surprise to find that this German duo of Frank Spinath and Martin Vorbroot have found themselves compared to the likes of Wolfsheim and label-mates Haujobb, and have also shared stage lights with Covenant. Beyond Flatline is a mature and mesmerizing dreamscape that sets itself within a realm of self-discovery, offering the chance to both explore and transcend earthly boundaries . . . :: Vinnie Apicella |
