Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Chroma Key - You Go Now


Chroma Key is basically a solo project of Kevin Moore, best known to proggers as the original keyboard player with prog-metal pioneers Dream Theater. However, anyone getting a hold of You Go Now expecting a heaping helping of anything like Dream Theater will be sorely disappointed. Instead of an over the top chopfest, Chroma Key produces a far more subtle slice of mostly electronic music.

To be honest, the closet comparison that I can come up with is some of Radiohead's more ambient material on Kid A . Most tracks consist of a base of synths and other electronics with sparse vocals, samples and guitars over top. The vibe produced by the music on the album is one of detachment and solitude. Moore's vocals, which sometimes border on a monotone, add to that feeling. The samples are well used and diverse, from transmissions for the Apollo 11 mission ("Lunar", obviously) to part of a tape of a man pontificating on the philosophical ramifications of driving ("When You Drive", also obviously). By the time we get to "Astronaut Down", the strongest track on the album, the presence of an actual groove makes it seem much more up-beat than it really is.

One value of You Go Now is its brevity. At not even forty minutes long, it comes to an end just about when you're ready for it to. Moore deserves kudos for doing something so completely different, even if it leaves you less than satisfied in the end. For those who enjoy things a little more loose and spacey than intricate and complex, You Go Now is definitely a release to check out. -Jon Byrne


1 Get Back In The Car 
2 Another Permanent Address 
3 Nice To Know 
4 Lunar 
5 When You Drive 
6 Subway 
7 Please Hang Up 
8 Astronaut Down 
9 You Go Now 





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