Lasers in the Jungle Somewhere: 24:7's NAEON

Details: By Loron Hays; 25 October 2018

24:7

Authenticity is sometimes a hard thing to spot. It is definitely a difficult thing to hear. The thing is, as is the case with this GENIUS work by Brighton’s 24:7, true works of authenticity can only speak for themselves and wait patiently – sometimes in the shadows – before being REALLY heard by the masses.

But there will be a following. Especially when the voice, as evident by the strength of the work here, is so damn exciting. This is the case with 24:7’s sophomore release. Originally released in April of this year, 24:7’s second album is no disappointment.

Whether it be outrun music that you are after or darksynth, NAEON is a release that has the synthwave community covered when it comes to sound AND validity. Seriously. The music included here feels IN YOUR FACE with a full sound and even fuller emotions.

"we are sonically lifted off this planet by melodies that sound otherworldly and yet so very human in their emotional lifts"

NAEON, with its forward-leaning march of synthesizers and melodies, is in a league all its own and these 13 tracks are eager to share their intrinsic feelings of glossy hope with you. Sure, the progress forward involves the 80s sound and all. Even the aesthetic that goes hand-in-hand with the synthwave sound is here – and, yes, there are some really fine new waves to be surfed here – but this release is an inspirational one for anyone caught in the doldrums and unsure of which next step to take with their listening {googleads}

Go here! Go here, I say! The purpose of NAEON is clear. From the soaring melody of the “Prelude” that opens this release and clear to the anthem found in “Naeon”, this is synthwave for THE FUTURE. One stop here will open your mind to ALL SOUNDS.

And 24:7 will not rest until the space between your earholes is jammed with the rich arpeggios and fills of “Halcyon” as that song competes for room and influence alongside the photographic moods of “Supervention” as sound and vision merge into a convergence.

Nothing is lost either as we tumble further down the rabbit hole that 24:7 has thrust us down.

The building of the bridge in “Galactic” earns high marks thanks to the steady pump of its drums. The repeating synth line snaps us back to attention after spiraling around what sounds like a night sky full of stars. This song is just one example of the authentic display of sounds (and adventure!!!) present on this release from TimeSlave Recordings.

The mind blowing continues with the electronic push and pull of “Equinox” and “Singularity” as we are sonically lifted off this planet by melodies that sound otherworldly and yet so very human in their emotional lifts. How any single release can have so many soul-stirring anthems is beyond me, but one listen to this album in its entirety will have you also convinced that harmony is no stranger to 24:7.

But there is a trilogy of songs – “Runner”, “Escape”, and “Timeless” – where the cinematic expressions of 24:7 are fully realized. We just need the 35mm film to go along with them. This tight trilogy of songs (whether by design or not) work in unison to create a narrative sequence that, in my mind, is easily filled in by, as Paul Simon once put it, “lasers in the jungle somewhere”. Predator 5? Predator 6? What are we up to already? Or is this something new? We have tension. We have atmosphere. And thanks to our imaginations, we have a story.

And then the sparkling opening of “Illuminate” descends upon us and we have, as we catch our breath, yet another melodic anthem with which to fly alongside to. Prepare the rockets once again. This journey isn’t over. From those elevated sounds, we turn to the chill of “Naeon Part II” and then, once more, to the mellow hue of “Golden Age” and, as the sonic wave is sustained clear into the void, we finally reach our destination: the repeat button.

And I simply can’t wait to hear what 24:7 has in store for us next.