New EP from Plant cell : Queen of the nebula - Fairy lurking in the thundercloud
After releasing their first LP at the beginning of this year (see the review of their musical work in our post here: ), Plant Cell released a new LP on July 8, 2017.
While their first CD was earth-based, inspired by some of the beautiful features of our planet ( mountains, forests), and its colours (Cyan, Magenta), Plant Cell decided to leave for our sky and space.
The air and space themed new EP is beautiful. It sounds clearer, the bass is way more defined, giving a more eery, lighter feeling, It is in tune with their theme. Asked about this new sound choice, Masaki Sato tells us:
"Four new songs were made by changing the method of mixing and mastering, consciously making the bass more conspicuous."
If you like plant cell's work, you will love this new EP, and look forward the next instalment of their music. Maybe a fire-themed or a water-themed one?
Nebula
This intro is not unlike a mix of Velouria from the Pixies and Pink Floyd's Interstellar Overdrive.
Imagine yourself flying through space at warp speed, bouncing with the satellites, playing with the planets, brushing the stars, laughing with the comets...
It is plant cell's anthem, a very exhilarating number, full of joy and power. You can imagine this at the start of their concert to electrise the audience.
I remember going to see Pixies' Velouria tour in 1991, and when they started their set with the theme song, Velouria, it was the same type of statement: "we are here to play, we are here to entertain!". Nebula is their Velouria. Is this wht the name of the song is short and ending with the same letter that the Pixies' piece?
Thundercloud
This song is an older one. It is very similar the way it is build to Flowergaze LP's songs. It is the same type of progression. The remix makes it clearer, which is what the band were looking for.
The first few measure are very like Keane's song, Somewhere we know before plant cell takes it into their world.
These thunderclouds are not very menacing in any case. There is almost an uplifting feeling to the piece, building up for 80% of it as you enjoy waiting for the coming storm. The last minute unleashes the raw power of the storm, adding layers upon layers of guitars, changing the drum pattern, the melody.
Queen of the night
A more ominous song. You can feel the darkness coming, the light fading. The ambient guitars at the back give thickness to the blackness.
When the drums double their tempo on the snare is when the fae queen and her court begin their dance, beautiful and cold like the moon, gathering a strange and magic power.
Then it stops, shortly, and the Queen speaks again, telling people that night is beautiful, not just cold. It is to be enjoyed, not just feared. It is full of stars, of predatory life, of animals that can not live in the light, of mystery. It is another part of life, and this song, this queen, want to remind you how beautiful it is.
Spirit who dwells on or in a mountain and sky
The base of the song is the same as "Spirit who dwells on in a mountain and forest", with a different take.
It may have been the design from plant cell to tell the stories of the different s spirits, with the same base song, but with the quality of each of this spirits: first, they venerated gnomes (earth); in this EP they venerate sylphes (air).
This song ends up with a distorted guitar, very noise pop, bringing speed into the texture and power, 2 things that fit well with the air and space theme.
And for comparison purpose:
