Seven years after formation, Polish instrumental alternative rock band Beyond the Event Horizon are now releasing their second album with an ep “FAR” between the two in 2018. A clue about their influence lies in the closing track here “Love on a Real Train”, which is a Tangerine Dream cover.
Well never mind Tangerine Dream, the opening refrains are strongly reminiscent of Riverside. A dreamy, spatial sound fills the air. “Dark Matter” proceeds patiently but atmospherically. Clouds drift by. The guitar has intent, but also colour and melancholy. The keyboards add the mystery. I must say I found this very calming. The drum patters while a post rock ring falls out of “Deep”. Deep is not how I’d describe this, but dreamy. There’s are moments of spatial electronica which for me didn’t add the context that I guess they were supposed to, and stood alone. Speaking of context, I must have missed the explanation as to why the track numbers ranged between 30 and 39, but not in that order. Coming back to “Deep”, it’s a nice enough track but lacked backbone, seeming to be more of a pretext for the generation of different soundscapes. I then wondered if I was listening to the same album as “Together” starts in a heavier and darker way. The electronic keyboards put my mind at rest, and for a time it’s like listening to Jean-Michel Jarre. Whereas I had been disappointed with “Deep”, “Together” has character, emotion and depth. The keyboards rumble through the mystical air. We pass through the title track to “Away from Home”. Thanks to the drum beat, and the solid progression there’s always the air of post rock about it. I can’t say it’s exciting but it’s solid and strong in its vivid depictions. “Away from Home” has the most exciting and epic passage so far as the track blossoms towards the end and widens its message. As a title, “Long Distance” fits the bill, and this quiet piece reflects the theme, but as with much of this album, I found myself listening to it rather than dreaming with it. A galactic tune mixed with a heartbeat surround the equally passive “Inverted Sunrise”. For most of its eight minutes, it’s quite pedestrian, only picking up towards the end. The impressive drum beat of “New Chapter” captivated me again. The track itself was nicely constructed without placing itself in front of my face and shouting “hear me”. I didn’t know Tangerine Dream’s “Love on a Real Train” by title but recognised it as soon as I heard it. The repetitive electronic beat suggests a train in motion. The soundscape is vivid, goosebump-inducing and emotively charged – erotic too if you watch the Tangerine Dream video, which I did later. For the first time we left the third dimension, and ironically it wasn’t Beyond the Event Horizon who instigated this magical journey.
Instrumental albums speak for themselves, and need to have great variety and expanse in order to bring out the colour and mood of the world they are portraying. Paradoxically, just as “Deep” isn’t deep, nor did “Leaving the 3rd Dimension“ immerse me in a faraway world. Yet while never blowing me away this album was enjoyable as a listening experience, and had epic moments. I appreciated its moodiness. I would be pleased to listen to Beyond the Event Horizon’s music again but would hope for something more vibrant and expansive.
(7/10 Andrew Doherty)
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