Artificial Obedience By Michael Regina

 

Artificial Obedience

By

Michael Regina

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It was so good to hear from electronic supremo Michael Regina again; I remember still to this day his first work that I collected called, A Far Better World, and with each passing release the music experience has just got better and better. Today we gaze upon a new release called Artificial Obedience, and how very relevant it is with the rise of AI in our world today.

The title track, Artificial Obedience establishes the mood with an intriguing sense of purpose. There is a palpable tension at its heart, a suggestion of machinery operating beneath the surface of something more emotional. It’s also good to see the title track starting off the project, its onward driving source is impressive to feel and listen to, drawing the listener into an atmosphere where beauty, uncertainty, and technological intrigue intertwine.

This whole release is a master class in electronic wizardry; this next piece Singularity is an awesome example of electronics and percussive elements beautifully fused, its very title suggesting a point beyond which the familiar rules no longer apply. Here, the cinematic scope of Regina’s musical vision comes into sharper focus, conjuring images of immense digital landscapes and a future that remains as captivating as it is uncertain. This is a beautifully fluent river of tone and timbre, and takes me back in time to some of the most classical new age styled music from the late 90’s.

The next track brings us to a more synth pop styled piece, it’s a flavoursome texture of percussion and keyboards that manifests an era as of yet untouched and called The New Light, with elements of 80’s electro beat mixed with a 90’s new age motif. There is a sense of emergence in the title alone, a movement away from shadow and towards possibility. It provides a compelling counterbalance to the darker implications of the record’s central concept, and a very clever offering indeed.

Now my personal favourite would turn out to be this next track, called Now That You're Here, bringing elements of the 70’s and 80’s and 90’s into its portfolio of tone, the organ start was sublime. Against the broader conceptual landscape, its title suggests presence, connection, and the enduring importance of human relationships. This contrast is essential to the album’s appeal: for all its futuristic associations, humanity still is there deep within the weave of the track. This one reminded me of artists like Geigertek and even as far back as Tangerine Dream, a quality piece indeed.

Our final musical offering is entitled Aluminium Skies, here is a fine and smooth offering that is a prime example of good soundtrack music. There is a distinctive underpinned melody that floats throughout this piece that is so delightful. The imagery is evocative, suggesting an artificial horizon beneath which the familiar boundaries between nature and technology have begun to dissolve. It is an appropriate conclusion to a release that invites reflection rather than offering easy answers.

This was a most enjoyable ride through the world we all live in now; Artificial Obedience is a perfect truism, regardless to what we think, we are slaves to the machines we have created. Regina has created something clear, crisp and meaningful here that any electronic music fan will love, this is a thoughtful, cinematic electronic release that places atmosphere and conceptual intrigue at the forefront. With Artificial Obedience, Michael Regina offers a compelling soundtrack to a future that may be closer than we think.