Pulsar Ensemble - Bizarre City

by Lisa Torem

published: 29 / 7 / 2021

Label: Pulsar Ensemble
Format: CD

Excellent second album from five-piece Italian band Pulsar Ensemble who create a sci-fi world and bring it to to life with nine, disparate compositions

Review

Pulsar Ensemble hails from Italy. On their sophomore album, ‘Bizarre City,’ these five instrumentalists combine forces to create, as the title suggests, an alternative world. To complete this task, they layer their compositions with an astounding array of instruments, including the vibraphone, electric guitar, synth, bass and drums. According to the press release, “The music tells the story of an imaginary city, organized into nine bizarre and surreal boroughs: a metropolis beyond time and space, which becomes visible only to those who enter within… “ The actual story is more complex, and immensely creative. It is examined through nine, disparate tracks. ‘The Times of the Mountains’ is a sensory explosion laden with ambient sounds, intense beats, dreamy synth passages and steroidal basslines. Strong melodies, too, erupt from this initial soundscape. ‘Timelapse’ is also dominated by beats, although they are significantly more aggressive. Out of this tight structure, a hypnotic vibe emerges. On ‘Temel and Toplum,’ everything changes. The song starts out methodically. The main synth line twists and turns and is followed by distortion. A complex jazz solo is intercepted by heavy metal guitar. On ‘Flipper,’ the Pulsar Ensemble picks up a frenetic beat again, but this composition features singular raspy vocals that multiply. ‘Clouds’ is a shorter piece on which textures are juxtaposed. As far as ‘Bizarre Secret’; in the A-section there is a sequence of delicate fragments. The B-section is rife with sonorous male voices and explosive drums. With little transition, the tranquil portion starts up once again. ‘Waiting’ is more conventional. The main melody is pretty and built around a solid motif. Like the previous track, moods escalate with little warning. The B-section can be jarring, but the intricate solo pulls these disenfranchised parts back together. ‘Fine Final’ is in a constant state of movement. A hushed, indistinct vocal adds color. At times, select instrumental sounds go to battle in a suspenseful game of call and response. ‘Sensation_2’ is the closer. Like the title song, it bursts forth with cantankerous beats and jagged, ambient sounds. The singular male vocal is unnerving but effective. After al lPulsar Ensemble promised to bring us into their unique world and they have done so.i