Ride to the stars on waves of synths, powered by the rocket fuel of cosmic imagination, with Theodore’s first album in three years, switching from the spinetingling and subtly ambient to the grand-scale anthemic and out-and-out euphoric.
Man And His Tools opens The Voyage with a throbbing, spectacular, epic vibe, drums to the fore and a muscular, rocky persona to grab and pull you into this spaced-out world. Like “audio”, “steak” or “train” in Wordle, this is a good way to start.
Greek multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Theodore, combining the electronic and the classical, has already been compared to countryman Vangelis and tracks like Last Day On Earth (which culminates in a fine crescendo) and Frame Of Reference (dreamy, swoony and orchestral) seem to channel Germany’s peerless Tangerine Dream. But there’s a more modern frame of reference here that takes in EDM, electro house and up-to-date electronic rock. Both Man And His Tools and Inertia (which starts minimalist but goes for the max in its finale) have echoes of the likes of Australia’s Pendulum, France’s M83 and the post-rock of Iceland’s Sigur Ros.
There’s something inherently simple in the concept, “about space travel and mankind’s place in the universe”. It’s more poppy than profound, less ambitious or cerebral than other space odysseys (titles like Man And His Tools, latest single Voyage and Transcendence Of Man recall Clarke/ Kubrick’s 2001). But “simple” can still be powerful, and simply infectious. The quality musicianship, lush melodies and majestic, climactic highs should be enough to keep you strapped in until journey’s end. Bon Voyage.
The Voyage, by Theodore, is out on March 11, via United We Fly