Felix NEill

One half of spooky Pennsylvanian synth-rock duo Zombi – and 100% of disco celebrators Lovelock - Steve Moore offers up his second solo album for Static Caravan, the follow-up to debut outing "The Henge". Gathering more sinister yet succulent sci-fi titbits, "Primitive Neural Pathways" is a selection of modern mushroom sounds for folks that don’t need to trip any more. Sculpting eerie compositions which wouldn’t feel out of place soundtracking the modern equivalent of a giallo film, Moore corrals cascading synths and languid beats and clicks to craft evocative electronica which snakes unnervingly, plaintive but unsettling.

Think Edgar Froese played by Oneohtrix Point Never and you’ll get an idea of Moore’s playfully lyrical melodies which come tinged with hints of darkness and hip esoterica – the spacey opener "Orogenous Zones" bubbles away with swirling keys and cosmic whirrs. There’s a prog-soaked atmosphere to Moore’s vibrant, suspenseful electronica, and he dabbles in musical pulses that reference Roger Waters or Larry Fast as much as Goblin or Geddy Lee. The airy ambience of "Feel The Difference" gently floats by on simmering synths, gorgeously brooding and with creeping rhythms, utilising electronic instruments to create something which nevertheless sounds organic and richly textured. With its icy melody and stalagmite beats, "C-Beams" is insistent, turbo-charged synth-pop meets spidery nocturnalia, like a gothic horror-inspired video game soundtrack and pure analogue heaven. Meanwhile the title track is a slinky slice of earthshock electronica reminiscent of the sounds heard on Peter Davison-era Doctor Who, all ray guns and rampaging Cybermen or barren planets hiding unknown horrors lurking in the shadows. Harking back to the glories of the Radiophonic Workshop, you get the feeling Daphne, Delia and Dudley would be proud. The chilly landscapes of closing track "248 Years" come with hymnal flourishes and a haunting arrangement which sets spines to ‘tingle’ and implores neck hairs to stand to attention. You’ll want to don a pair of night vision goggles like the kind they wear on uniformly crap supernatural-themed TV shows.

Otherworldly and intoxicating, "Primitive Neural Pathways" is an intergalactic melange and how War of the Worlds would’ve sounded if it had been helmed by Jean Michel Jarre instead of Jeff Wayne. And the aliens had won. Limited to 400 copies on 12” wax.

Be quick.

Vinyl rip at 320Kbps.

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