Ambient music has always been a mixed bag for me. The category seems to cover everything from Eno-esque textured soundscapes to tantric meditation music. That being said, I tried to keep an open mind while listening to Planeswalkers‘ debut, The Mind Room.
Planeswalkers is the power couple duo of Arden Leigh (Arden & the Wolves) and Andrew Means, known for his work with the likes of 3TEETH and Patriarchy. And had this been just a mishmash of floaty noise, I probably would have grown bored quickly. Instead, there’s an actual sense of direction and purpose on this four-song release.
Arden’s vocal delivery changes gears and covers a range of styles from an Enya-like airiness to almost a hip-hop flow.
What really put their sound over the top, in my opinion, is Means‘ articulately-structured songs along with a production style that adds a bit of industrial edginess, even to such floating tracks as Horizons.
Fans of lighter music with a dark, subversive undercurrent would do well to give The Mind Room a try, as I feel that the Planeswalkers‘ journey is just beginning.
-Jaret S. Young