Music for the Mind

Band: The Seven Fields of Aphelion
Album: Periphery
RIYL: Jon Brion/Brian Eno


Review By Theo Andrews

The Seven Fields of Aphelion is an epic name for a solo artist, but given the nature of the music, it’s a perfect fitting for the various textures revealed throughout the music.

Every track on the album has multiple layers: spacey synthesizer with ambiance galore provides the base while industrial sound effects supply a certain sense of abstractness. On the surface, light piano is played to establish some much needed lyricism. The piano, however, is the most important part of the music; it serves as the gloss over the paint.

Three tracks in particular fully emphasize the aforementioned description: “Slow Subtraction,” “Grown” and “Mountain Mary.” Each track has growing and declining synthesizer with piano providing the emotional impact. If unable to picture this, then think of the soundtrack to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Aphelion’s music can best be described as meditative: perfect of one stays in a spot for a very long period of time. The music appeals to the senses much more than just the eardrums. The music isn’t danceable or foot tapping, but it isn’t bizarre enough to be labeled a turn-off.