{"product_id":"gateway-5","title":"Gateway","description":"Personnel: Erik Wollo (various instruments, guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, programming).\u003cbr\u003eOn Gateway, Erik Wollo presents the kind of travelog predicted by Joe Meek with I Hear a New World, a soundtrack of a visit to an alien world. The roots of the release are more readily placed in late-'70s space rock and '80s new age, though, and while Gateway is an enjoyable listen, it's not very inspiring in feeling like a new launching point for both sound and style. The elegant blend of dreamy synth loops, deep bass tones, soft electric guitar parts, and more simply doesn't break through into a new, striking synthesis. There's no question that Gateway is both well-performed and arranged; it's a lovely sounding effort throughout, with standout tracks including the title song, a quiet shuffling beat anchoring a peaceful piano melody and other elements suggesting a ship gently arcing through alien skies, and \"The Traveler,\" with its mid-song break of sudden synth swells feeling like a sudden sunrise over the arc of a planet. \"Land of Myths\" starts out with a cosmic tour Cosmos sense, then more steady synth plucks and rolls show up on \"First Arrival,\" sounding like a first meeting with aliens -- definitely the end of '70s-zone space rock via a new age filter when the steady ominous\/beautiful late-night Miami Vice synths come in. The concluding track, \"Thule,\" revolves around both a slightly more upfront rhythm and a slow, flowing, treated guitar loop that ends the album on a high note -- it's at once of a piece with the rest of the album, while also giving a sense that things will continue in a chilled, wondrous way. In all, though, the sheer pleasantness of Gateway, its attractive mysteriousness and gentle, contemplative feeling, is of a piece with many other albums over the years, making it neither more nor less than exactly what it aims to be. ~ Ned Raggett","brand":"MovieMars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219548885279,"sku":"617026024424","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/7833\/0399\/files\/f43e8f8b678656d7fb79573015b23a60.jpg?v=1777884396","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemars.com\/products\/gateway-5","provider":"MovieMars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}