- Given how excellent his label was, it's not surprising that Max Magrini, AKA Max_M, was sitting on some great music when he died last May. One record he had in the pipeline was Way Over Yonder by Blind Observatory. It's easy to see why Magrini would take to this Berlin-based artist: as with much of the music on M_Rec, his style of techno is both cosmic and soulful, set in outer space but colored with human emotion. Way Over Yonder feels like a breakthrough for Blind Observatory, who's put out only one other solo release so far (And The Flying Saucer, a sought-after 12-inch on I/Y). When Magrini died, he didn't feel right shopping it around to other labels, and he assumed he'd simply never release it. Ultimately, thanks in part to the advice of friends, he decided to release it himself, making it the first record on his new label, Gravitational ("In Loving Memory" is engraved on the B-side).
"Way," "Over" and "Yonder" sound like different parts of one piece. Their compositions are similar, with spacey pads and soaring acid lines floating through loose, bouncy grooves. There's not a 4/4 pulse to be found—kicks fall on two beats per bar at most, creating spacious frameworks for these cosmic panoramas. Each one strikes a different emotional chord. "Way" and "Yonder" are mournful and reflective. "Over" feels like an epic epiphany—this one would nicely soundtrack Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot" monologue. Together, they form a compelling statement from an inspired up-and-coming artist, and yet another piece of Max_M's legacy. It's a good thing they saw the light of day.
TracklistA1 Way
B1 Over
B2 Yonder