"Azhdark Passion is his best recording to date and shows his developing maturity and sophistication without losing his unique vision of music suffused with passion and feeling"
Salva Moreno, a Spanish artist who records under the pseudonym Psciodreamics, really loves to paint his soundscapes on broad lush romantic canvases, using an assortment of neo-classical, new age, and subtle EM musical "colors." ...
... On his latest effort, Azhdark Passion (inspired by a Tanith Lee fantasy book entitled Night's Master), Moreno continues to tweak his formula from previous efforts (such as Eternal Angel and The Garden) both artistically (focusing more on proficiency within a few genres and less on variety) and technically (his keyboards have never sounded better, be they overtly electronic or sampled instruments). The artist can still over-reach his ambition, but that's a sign of his abundant vision and less a sign of a lack of talent or skill.
For the most part, the music on the CD is warm, romantic, and decidedly melodic, sometimes centered around piano as the lead keyboard, although the opening title track uses powerful trap-kit drums, choirs, and synth washes to great effect in creating a dramatic thundering beginning to this somewhat thematic recording. While some songs, such as "The Sweetest Gift," (comprised of twinkling bells, harpsichord-like keyboards, harp arpeggios, and softly sighing chorale effects) or "The Sorcery" (containing strings, whooshing keyboard washes, angelic choirs, and cascading synths, yielding to powerful timpani and rolling piano) land squarely on the new age music side of things, other tracks skillfully introduce strong classical influences (such as the use of more orchestral-flavored strings and solo oboe on the somber "Song of the Living Night").
Songs vary from romantic and almost cheery to being darker-tinted, sometimes even within themselves ("The Garden of Strange Beings" starts off foreboding but becomes light and airy before long). On "The Forge" a blend of floating EM/ambient washes and sequenced notes constantly duel with dramatic pounding timpani and snares and forceful choirs (the artist has a real thing for bringing his drums to the forefront but not overdoing them). "Floating in the River of Souls" unfortunately introduces some misplaced female and male vocalizings (they may fit "thematically" but they seem out of place on an album which has previously emphasized refinement up to this point). Thankfully, they do not last long and the piece becomes a mixture of sedate piano and an assortment of new age-style keyboards, all done low key in keeping with the song's title. Disregarding the literal last track, a vocal number titled "Morning Light," the album ends well with the gentle, restrained and somewhat sad instrumental track "Missing U." Don't miusunderstand me, "Morning Light" is a fine song but simply does not belong here as far as I'm concerned.
Moreno continues to hone his talent and skills in composing and performing new age electronic music with strong romantic and neo-classical underpinnings. Azhdark Passion is his best recording to date and shows his developing maturity and sophistication without losing his unique vision of music suffused with passion and feeling.
