12 Followers-Meteo Xaxier have been busy making the soundtrack for a new game Impulse. The result is a technological mesh of all kinds of different genres into one melting pot of electronica.
Opener “President Obama is a Juggalo” is a fun beaty and meaty track that flows nicely with some interesting combinations of monk choirs, keyboard samples and kickbeats. “Zin Kibaru’s Guitar” is like a space zither keyboard sample. It’s wonderfully melancholy whilst pressing forward with its beats and bass. It’s chilled out but definitely full of different soundscapes especially in the second half. “Elemental Fog” reminds me of VGM from the mid 90’s. It has a real throwback sound to it with its bassy drum loops, and gritty dirty keyboard pads. It’s a standout track. “Impulse Prime…Ribs…” is all about the tuned percussive edge to the main melodies. A dulcimer leads the way and I love the way how throughout the album 12 Followers – Meteo Xavier tamper with regular sounds – gently looping them or dropping audio in and out quickly because they don’t overuse it but make it effective and a fun play time.
“Sandsea Sanskrit” decides to get the pitch bender out and go nuts with some ethnic sounding samples and the most bendiest bassline committed to a non alien movie in a while! Great fun nonetheless “d(‘-‘)m(‘-‘)m^'(-‘)^w(‘-‘)” has a nutty title and also a hodge podge of instruments from chants to woodwind to guiros hooping to thick string keyboard synths. It strangely works quite well in a “Final Fantasy V Dear Friends” kind of way. Bold! “When You Find a Strange in the Alps” reminds me so much of VVVVVV and some of the classic C64 tunes – it’s easily my favourite track from the OST. Bold, strong, anthemic and pumping with energy. “A Shrine For My Mind” is slow mo techno track where a lot of the instruments are going at quite a speed and the drums initially aren’t going at the same pace but over time they speed up. It’s really clever and the synth solos are great.
“Combustion” has drums taken right from an 80s arcade machine. It has a beautiful retro feel and the thick stereo synths really drench the speakers in sound. “Reprise” starts off quietly with echoing pianos before bringing in a low-fi beat to pulsate and build the track into a grizzly low-fi dance track. The soundtrack closes with “Strange Rock In The Heavens” which is a beautiful track full of all kinds of auroras and arpeggios of celestial sounding samples. There’s guitar to balance it all out too and the whole track is excellently crafted.
Impulse is an excellent soundtrack. There’s a definite throwback vibe to what you now have on the remixed C64 scene with the likes of Huelsbeck and Lynne but this is a very worthy entry and anyone whom enjoys their keyboard synths loud and in full frontal positions will enjoy this offering from 12 Followers – Meteo Xavier.