There is an internet aesthetic that I find interesting known as “Liminal Space” which is defined as “…the time between the 'what was' and the 'next.' It is a place of transition, waiting, and not knowing. Liminal space is where all transformation takes place, if we learn to wait and let it form us." This to me perfectly describes this short but fulfilling ep from Port Blue, a side project of keyboard wizard and Owl City mastermind Adam Young.
The opening track “In The Dolphin Tank” gets everything started off right with the only spoken words in the entire project “Hello”. But it’s really the beautiful music that pulls me in, reminding me of someone just waking from/to a dream. The soothing but beautiful synths with touches of acoustic guitar and electronic percussion carry me through a moment in time without wearing out its welcome. The song is just over two minutes long and quite honestly this is exactly what you should expect from the project as a whole, super short songs that freeze you in your steps and just ask you to enjoy this brief moment. Some of the tracks do inevitably remind me of Owl City, rather it be the beautiful Piano in “Of Japan” and “Into the Sea” or the bubbly synth line in “City of Safe Harbor” but with that said the music still manages to be its own thing enough that you would never confuse the two projects. One of the more interesting musical moments comes in “Butterflies” with a slightly more driving electronic beat and some really great bass work the song is the closest this ep ever gets to “intense” (without actually being intense at all). Like I said back at the beginning the idea of Liminal Space is really what best describes this project. It’s music that doesn’t so much take you on a journey as sits with you and asks you to slow down as you take in the things around you. I can’t help but feel this is definitely something I need more of in my life. Suggest Tracks: In The Dolphin Tank Butterflies City Of Safe Harbors Into The Sea
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