- After more than a decade of releases under twenty pseudonyms, Roland Sebastian Faber is finally putting out records under his own name. And while his previous records have largely been UK garage, he seems to have reserved his real name for a new sound: Cosmic disco.
It should be noted, however, that Faber cosmic isn't Lindstrøm cosmic. Instead, 'Molecular', the A-side on this record, falls in line with Aube’s commitment to pop. (The imprint's last release was on an Italo tip, with Marc Almond on vocal duties.) You could call it "video game disco", I suppose, because it’s such dinky stuff: The beat to ‘Molecular’ sounds like the moment that Pitfall Harry picks up the money bag in Pitfall! (Atari, 1982). The synth melody, meanwhile, upgrades the track, but only to Mega Man-era complexity (Capcom, 1987). This is not a criticism, of course. As any Nintendo fan knows, Japanese game technicians were some of the greatest composers of the '80s.
The Roy Buchanan-style guitar work on 'Eisengard' doesn’t have the same restrictions. Like strands of spaghetti spread across a desert sky, it's noodle-y and deliciously self-indulgent—perfect for the cosmic context. Like the synthesizer that sprawled over 'Hommage I' from Faber’s previous 12-inch on Aube, this sounds like improv, but most likely it’s composed to within an inch of its life. To its credit – and this goes for 'Molecular' as well – neither sound worse for wear for being so studied; In fact, both sides end up feeling like the loose and effortless '70s tracks they're meant to evoke. Much like his excellent 2-step productions, Faber has mastered yet another genre. The only question left—what name next?
TracklistA Molecular
B Eisengard