Album Details

• Artist: Sonarpilot
• Album: Mothership
• Label: Indie
• Year of Release: 2010
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: archelon on 2010-04-26

As a listener, it's always nice to get noises you recognise mixed up in a new and interesting way. There are many that try and fail on what seems like a daily basis but even then, we listen, just to try it. It's a bit like decent cooking - sure, I can make a decent spaghetti bolognaise. But I can't make it as good as Delia Smith. And here, Sonarpilot takes us on an epic journey through outer space - with the equipment of Bowie, the science of Pink Floyd and the Pendulum. Michael Moppert's double album 'Mothership' hails his return to the music world in rather a dramatic fashion.

As we wander inside the first track, 'First Contact' (eye-rollingly apt) we are drawn into an almost underwater, silent world of sonar and atmosphere but as we explore the scope of Moppert's vision opens up. We have jazz rhythms, we have classical compositional layers that any of the opera masters would have been proud of. The attention to detail is just superb - the whole album arches around you like an arm around your shoulders and shows you wonders.

Despite the epic nature of its composition, the tracks aren't difficult to follow, even for an inexperienced (or inept, or uninterested) listener. And it's not a one-listen album either - tracks like the floating 'Desert Song' and the ticking 'Lava' demand more attention than you can give in one go, even at 12 and 11 minutes respectively.

So it's interesting, extremely well-made and intelligent electronica. Where's the catch? Well, the very (big) elements that make up this double record, I suspect, will be their downfall. With songs that last from 4 ('Osaka') to a massive 23 ('First Contact') minutes, in the modern world of fast or convenient everything, I'm not sure anyone could cope. But if you've got a little patience and a little curiosity, give it a go - hopefully you'll like it as much as I did.

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