If you’re into synthpop, ambient, or 80s-inspired music that will take you on a journey, then I invite you to check out the brand new EP by Moon and Aries called "Paradise". Check out the EP on Spotify here:
Take Me Home
The EP opens with the song "Take Me Home". The first thing that grabs my attention is the fact that there is a lyrics video for this track on YouTube (see above). I love it when artists do this, as it shows a level of commitment many artists sadly don’t have. The song itself starts off very classical sounding. The voice of singer Jordana Moon speaks for itself and as soon as she sings the first line, "In flow to the stillness", I just knew this was going to be something special. I love the reverb and the dreamy vibes I’m getting from this. The drums kick in at 37 seconds and this is perfect timing. It elevates the song and makes it an even bigger pleasure to listen to. This is the kind of song I could see people listen to on a nice summer evening while sitting on a beach surrounded by palm trees. The music video does a great job at painting a picture of that scenario, while at the same time showing the lyrics. There is real strength to Moon’s voice, yet also a calmness and it's this special combination that makes it possible to listen to this for hours. I think this type of music is exactly what the world needs in these troubling times.
In Silence
I’m happy to say that this music video is even better than the previous one, as it features a stunning ballet performance that really makes the music shine even more. This track begins with a sweet piano intro, with some soft synth sounds in the background. For some reason, this song reminds me of one of my favourite artists of all time, Annie Lennox. But it isn’t so much the vocals, it’s definitely more the instruments, which sound super relaxing and I have to say Tom Aries did a great job here. The same goes for the previous song as well. Something that makes this duo stand out to me right away is the ability to combine music with visuals. The music video is perfectly tailored to the music and I can only recommend you watch it and listen to the song that way. The only thing I would love to see is the lyrics, but since this is obviously not a lyrics video, I think it would be nice to see the lyrics in the description of the video, or maybe as a comment.
Angels and Demons
The third track starts off more serious. This is perhaps not a surprise, given the title of this. At this stage, I am really impressed with the versatility of this duo as well. It’s almost like listening to Moon and Aries has a hypnotising effect on the listener. I am so relaxed listening to these songs that I feel like I’m doing a meditation or a yoga session instead of sitting here writing these lines. It is such a nice feeling to hear music like this being released in these times. It gives me hope for the future. Even though this song is a little darker than the others, there is definitely an element of hope in this.
Paradise
Judging by the title, this is the main song of this EP and it certainly starts off strong. I’d almost describe the intro melody as cinematic; it certainly sounds grand to me. The title is already starting to make sence. The vocals by Moon are once again an absolute pleasure to listen to and you could say the listener feels like he/she is indeed in paradise, just listening to this beautiful song. After listening to this a few times on repeat, it becomes obvious to me that this entire EP is like paradise, at least to my ears. It just gets more and more relaxing, the more you listen to it.
Mercury
While I expected the previous 2 songs to sound the way they do, I didn’t expect the album to end with an instrumental track. This is a very nice surprise and it really highlights the musical expertise of Tom Aries. This is a great track to end this EP with and leave the listener wanting to hear more! I’d also say this is the saddest sounding song on the entire EP, which is interesting because there are no vocals. At this stage, I also notice that the mixing and mastering is done to perfection. Not just on this track, but on this entire EP. I can see this particular track being used in commercials, or in the background for certain shows, or maybe even a movie.
Final thoughts
It’s hard to pick a favourite song from this EP since they are all very well done. The one that took me by surprise the most is definitely Mercury, since there are no vocals and I guess you could say it’s the odd one out. What makes this duo stand out to me is the fusion between complete calmness and a ton of energy at the same time. There are also a lot of 80s influences in this that I love. I think the 80s are having a bit of a comeback at the time of writing this, mainly because of the Netflix show Stranger Things, but I think this could work out in favour of Moon and Aries. Listening to Moon and Aries is like a massage for my ears. This is the kind of music that I can listen to all day and just feel like I’m being carried around on pillows. It’s a treat for the mind and ears at the same time. It seems like lots of artists are trying to hurt the listener these days, so it is a much needed change to listen to an EP like this where the listener gets a special treat and actually feels better after listening to the EP than before. This is exactly what the world needs in dark times like these, with a global recession coming up, a war in the Ukraine and global uncertainty en masse. One last thing that I would like to point out is that their website looks very good. In fact, their entire online presence is very consistent and professional looking. This might seem obvious, but many artists are unbelievably inconsistent, so it’s great to see that these two take their online presence seriously. There is one thing on the website that I really like and it’s this: https://www.moonandaries.com/music-1 This is a song for meditation in 432hz, a frequency that sounds much better than the traditional 440hz to my ears. Anyways, for all those reasons, I can only recommend you check out the EP "Paradise" by Moon and Aries! Here are the official links:
Official Website☞ https://www.moonandaries.com/
Facebook☞ https://www.facebook.com/moonandaries/
YouTube☞ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMJmMIDMPikPGhhX1rpdDaw
iTunes☞ https://music.apple.com/de/artist/moon-and-aries/1556966622?uo=4
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, however, all opinions are my own. Content of the artist in this post is used with permission, no copyright is violated.