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Leon Alvarado — Charging the Electric Dream
(Bandcamp Melodic Revolution MRR22215, 2022, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-05-26

Charging the Electric Dream Cover art

As a followup to The Future Left Behind (2016), which was a progressive rock concept album, Leon Alvarado turns in a different direction. Charging the Electric Dream is a set of tracks leaning towards the classics of 70s electronic music, not really rock at all. You’ll hear tinges of Jean Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, Synergy, and maybe even a touch of Tony Banks’ solo work. And while these are certainly sounds that have been done before, Alvarado does an excellent job of creating music that’s entertaining and enjoyable. The album is a collection of tracks he’s recorded over the last 20 years or so that didn’t fit on any previous album, so it’s remarkable that they fit together so well as a collection. While Alvarado certainly has digital technology available to him, the seven tracks here have the warm sound of classic analog gear. Where electronic percussion is used, the tones are essentially what was available in the late 70s. Fans of sequencing will find a lot to love here, with most tracks featuring bubbling rhythmic parts. But there are also lots of parts that sound like they were played by human hands as well, giving the music a natural feeling in the midst of all the technology. Charging the Electric Dream may not be a work of ground-breaking innovation, but it is a skillful overview of a well-loved corner of the electronic landscape.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): Leon Alvarado

More info
http://leonalvarado.bandcamp.com/album/charging-the-electric-dream

 

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