In the avalanche of synthwave released in the last decade or so, artists have to be inventive to stand out. Hailing from Spain, Astral Tales had the good idea to tell a story. On the course of three full-length albums, Landing, Raytracers and Seafari, is presented to us the epic of Red Iris.
The first release, Landing (2016), comes with an “Illustrated Story”, a superb 14 page PDF file that sets the tone. This document is little more than what used to be called “the booklet” back in the days of physical music format, but it’s a nice touch since so few artists go through the trouble of making one in the present digital age.
Landing‘s structure follows three general segments: the first part shows us a young woman, Red Iris, fleeing a man-made cataclysm, launching into space (“The Ascent”) and fighting for survival (“War In The Void“). Next is a period of introspection (“Atlas Library”, “Source of the Self”), and finally an adventurous step forward (“Massive Hyperdrive”) with the expected landing on a new world (“Hearth”).
The second album is a prequel to Landing. Raytracers (2017) is presenting the events that led to the catastrophe opening Landing. From the start, an enigmatic narration informs the listener that eleven “Rays” were gathered by men into sprawling metropolises, bringing great power to some, but also injustice and misery to most. Freedom fighters called “Raytracers” arose to fight the power, and we can to assume Red Iris is one of them. Raytracers is obviously the most cyberpunk album from Astral Tales’ body of work, with confronting tracks like “Are You Alive Or Just Breathing?”, “Faded Minorities” or my pick for a favorite, “We Will Remain“.
It is also on this release that Astral Tales great sense of drama is best deployed, with complex constructions like “Colonies”, conveying adventure, danger and a sense of community. “Crepuscular Arrays” feels like a mysterious mix of Vangelis and tribal rhythms, while “Ivory Garden” takes the listener on a frivolous escapade into the elite’s indifference.
In the third installment, Seafari (2018), Red Iris explores the new world she has found as Landing concludes. Given the gorgeous cover art (by Polish artist Magdalena Radjiej, who also collaborated to Landing – The Illustrated Story) and the titles progressing from “Immersion” to “Vortex”, then to “Echoes” and “Light”, this album is more dreamy and vaporous. After all, Landing was closing with “Hearth”, it follows that what comes next which should be introspective and more subtle. Mostly ambient, fully instrumental and with a slower tempo, Seafari would have been a good stand-alone release, and I get that this is Red Iris now finding some peace, but in the course of the saga this album is overshadowed by the two previous chapters.
Overall, Astral Tales music is mostly standard synthwave (clean leads, buzzing bassline, ambient pads and dancefloor rhythms, with the occasional ballad), but nevertheless holds some pleasant surprises. “Atlas Library” takes unexpected cues from Kraftwerk and carries sounds reminiscent from the “future pop” scene of the early 2000’s, while Cure-like wailing guitars are found on “Source of the Self” and “We Will Remain”. On the few tracks with vocals (“End of the Age”, “The Red Iris”, “Before Your Eyes”, “Faded Minorities”, “We Will Remain”), the voices are soft and introspective, where other artists would have had them pop or aggressive. This is another good point for Astral Tales: they know how to manage their effects and don’t overdo the 80’s nostalgia like so many other synthwave projects do.
Astral Tales albums are best listened to in sequence, one track transitioning nicely to the other, and despite being mostly instrumental, as we listen we get the feel of the story unfolding, even without the help of the well-chosen titles. “War In The Void” or “New Horizon” are fast and adventurous, while “Faded Minorities” is a sad ballad and “Turbo Club” is obviously a dance-floor number.
Astral Tales offers classic synthwave performed by a competent composer, with above average production for independent releases. With the art included in Landing and the narrative quality of his music, the artist walks an extra mile to make his product enjoyable and thoughtful. While Landing and Seafari stray from classic cyberpunk themes, they are nevertheless grounded in science fiction and hold the vibes we are looking for.
If you would like to purchase Astral Tales music, the titles bellow are links to the artist Bandcamp page :