Recently, I’ve had to deal with disease, death and the possibility of an AI apocalypse. In this context, Hatchback’s Phaser for the Ocean, Chorus for the Moon felt like a blessing. The album features classical Ambient with strong New Age influences. It consists of four pieces, each around the 20-minute mark, aiming for simple beauty. At times, this borders on clichés. The opener starts with a bright chime, burbling water and wellness synths. It’s as if you’ve just entered a massage parlor and might be sold an overpriced face mask any minute now. Luckily, Hatchback treats this scene as an episode.
Phaser for the Ocean, Chorus for the Moon is, structurally, a narrative. Take the track »Other Desert Cities«. It starts with wind, a flute and playful synths. Then, Hatchback makes use of Western chords. We are in the establishing shot of a cowboy epos and are crossing a windswept landscape. After five-and-a-half minutes, a beat starts. After twelve, a mournful melody emerges. After thirteen, we notice influences from Reggea. The forlorn desert has morphed into a beach filled with friends. In the end, we find ourselves alone again, but happy. »Phaser« is unostentatiously cinematic; and therein lies its greatest strength. It’s not an exciting album – it sounds too much like too many others –, but it is very good.
