Francois Call—From Abyss to Ascent

On hearing the first few notes of "Abyss of the Soul", I immediately thought of David Miles' Children and its purposeful piano intro. Yet this track is far more vocally driven, soft, calming, almost ethereal. Then the beat drops. I’ve never been much for dance music, my clubbing days are long behind me, but every so often, a track comes along that truly grabs me. This one didn’t just grab me, it seized me by the lapels and gave me a good shake. And even then, the best was still to come.

I think everyone knows the expression "like a deer in the headlights", and that’s exactly how I felt when “Everyday Life” began. The beat is incessant, throbbing, purposeful. No exaggeration, I felt myself freeze, almost unable to move, completely absorbed in the unfolding music. Some might hear cacophony, some noise, but to others, myself included, it feels like a strange kind of meditation. It’s not relentless, there are moments of calm, but they are just that, brief respites before the madness returns.

The vocals return on “Ethereal Resilience”, but they serve as accents rather than narrative. The track leans more into EDM influences, yet it’s much calmer than the previous one. Still, the synth riff and thumping beat are undeniable, making me yearn to be in a club, feeling that thumping beat, rise from the floor, through my feet and explode in my chest.

Once again, things are softer with "Euphoria Rising". All the elements are still present, but the track feels more laid-back. Even when the bass drops, it’s never overwhelming, which is probably a good thing. Later, the sparse vocals ride over a chord progression that had me racking my brain, trying to place where I’d heard it before. I’m fairly certain it’s something entirely unrelated, a TV theme, a commercial, but it definitely evokes that feeling of musical déjà vu.

For me, the final track, "Where Feelings Grow", is the weakest of the 6 tracks. It almost feels like, "Hey, we need something radio-friendly" and this is the result. It’s not a bad track by any means, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the earlier songs. That said, the synth later in the track is fantastic, especially on headphones.

Some might ask, "What’s the point of EDM if you’re not dancing?" And most of the time, I’d nod in agreement. But occasionally, something surfaces that drags you under, like this, letting you sink willingly into its waves of sound, an endless, intoxicating tide that drowns out everything else, if only for a little while.