With COVID-19 stay-at-home orders remaining in place, it’s safe to assume that no one will be hitting the beach for a summer vacation any time soon. But musician and sound designer Sofie Birch’s album “Island Alchemy” off Constellation Tatsu can give you all of the whimsy and calming vibes of the sea from the comfort of your own home.
Birch uses a variety of elements to give the tracks of “Island Alchemy” a nautical feeling. Driving Towards the Deaths Mycelium features long, flowing pitches with bell chime-like elements layered on top, which makes it feel as though you’re out at sea and approaching the shore. Other percussive elements, which sound like they’re being provided by a marimba or vibraphone, add to the track’s oceanic feeling.
For many, the ocean can symbolize exploration, and Myg captures this feeling perfectly. It’s delicate with an air of curiosity to it, like there are unknown mysteries just begging to be discovered. The bells featured on this track add to the delicate and almost mystical feeling. With its gentle sound, ambient components and 10-minute run time, it’s easy to check out of reality when listening to Myg.
Loph serves as an excellent example of the wide variety of instruments and sounds used to create “Island Alchemy.” The track opens with a repeating synth keyboard melody, which serves as the base for the song. From there, various layers of different complexities are introduced, one of the most notable being a clarinet. Every new layer that gets added on is different from the ones that came before it, but they all complement each other. The different elements interacting with each other give Loph a very unique vibe.
Mu Evans uses electronic and synth elements to continue the feeling that’s been established by the preceding tracks. It opens with a nearly-silent electronic pulse that gets louder and slower, providing an engaging build up to pull the listener in. Just like other tracks on “Island Alchemy,” Mu Evans feels mysterious and almost haunting, and the synth vocal elements featured on this track only help to establish that feeling. It sounds like a distant siren song, chilling yet beautiful and beckoning.
Overall, the elements on Birch’s “Island Alchemy” come together to create the perfect storm to help the ease out of reality and travel to faraway places without ever having to move.
