Boundless imagination and pure emotion
C’est ca is a highly imaginative sonic journey to a fantastic plane of existence beyond this world. Fly Pan Am uses the artful placement of a wide variety of sounds to both convey passion and to induce meditative dreaming. The opening track rips through reality with a cacophony of underwater electronic tones and flange-modulated fuzz sounds over random spastic snare hits, which give way to a low tone, and a fervent banging rhythm.
“Distance Dealer” instantly delivers a semi-driving beat with a mellow, Moody Blues-type vibe but with a fresh take. This psychedelic song has soft dreamy male vocals and cruises like a smooth train, with a rotating feel. The song pushes boundaries with many spacey sounds and variations of fuzz, melting in and out of the track. Remnants of The Beatles Yellow Submarine seem to glimmer in this song, which succeeds in never being dull.
“Bleeding Decay,” is a bit edgier. It starts with muffled heartbeat type drum intro and spacey sounds. A danceable, tribal beat with a triplet figure emerges, and a guitar with a telephone-like effect comes in. Mostly indiscernible vocals touch then instantly fade back into the landscape. This song has a bit of a driving post-1980s revival vibe. A sort of slideshow of different sounds plays over the basic guitar and drum foundation. Three minutes in, blood-curdling screaming and a rhythmic synth voice enter the soundscape. After four minutes, we’re taken back into a pleasing song with only a slightly dissonant swarm of guitar tones that lead to the end.
“Dizzy Delusions” is a short ambient piece, with underwater sounds giving way to a dream sequence with gentle modulations, and toy drum interruptions.
“Each Ether” starts out unassuming, like a 1980’s soft, danceable, light tune with gentle tone modulations. Early Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth)-type vocals are present. Then a backdrop of screaming-light in the mix, and a chorused 12 string guitar/otherworldly folk instrument please the ear. After stalling a little at the 2:50 mark due to its repetitiveness, the song intrigues again with pleasing high harmonies like a choir of angels. “Each Ether” is a highly emotional song. It is devastating and you don’t know why.
“Alienage Syntropy” gives an eerily genuine impression of alien contact and builds tension through a cacophony composed of heavily flanged drums with organ, and unidentifiable buzzing sounds.
“One Hit Wonder” has an otherworldly feel. A repetitive techno dance beat and common time made me a little snoozy. Towards the very end of the song, some rhythmic screaming redeems it, but a bit too late. It is uncharacteristically uninteresting compared to the rest of the album.
“Discreet Channeling” flirts somewhat with The Beatles Yellow Submarine. The scary voice of a witch emerges beneath a happy instrumental part. The middle features an In-a-godda-da-vida-esque drum solo over the sound of swishing water. Fly Pan Am uses some playful vocals that explore creepy feels and sing-songiness, briefly. For another brief part, the song becomes intense with a vibe akin to the metal band Isis and features a jumbled -tangle of tones, which is brilliant interchange. Both soft mellow male vocals and the screaming witch reemerge.
“Interface your shattered dreams” is a fantasy piece. The song features sounds ranging from a roaring monster to a happy, synthesized horn sound, and a circus-like madness, before decaying into a somewhat uneventful ending. It conjures both a sunny day in a grassy field and an inferno.
This album is a carefully crafted masterful symbiosis of boundless imagination and pure emotion. At times it was soothing and at other times, mildly disturbing. Overall, it was quite interesting to listen to.
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