My review of "The Chroma Plateau" CD by Numina

[richardgurtler]

Numina "The Chroma Plateau" CD

Numina's discography is quite extensive, featuring since 2000 mostly self-released CDr albums via Numinamusic.com or through the original MP3.com site, but also several CD albums on Hypnos. Roughly, I am talking about 30 or so solo and collaborative releases (with IXOHOXI, Stephen Philips, Caul and Zero Ohms). Jesse Sola, the lone creator behind Numina, based in Denver, Colorado, has released his last album "Through The Gate To Nowhere" in 2015 on relaxedMachinery. Three years have passed since and Numina returns with "The Chroma Plateau" on respected Spotted Peccary Music, where also "Broken Stars Through Brilliant Clouds" album with Zero Ohms was released in 2015. "The Chroma Plateau" CD is packaged in a catchy 4-panel eco wallet designed by Spotted Peccary's visual mastermind Daniel Pipitone, while the mastering artistry is delivered by Howard Givens.

6 and a half minutes long "Beaming Up The Fossils" ignites the journey with gracefully expansive and tranquilly undulating drifts exquisitely amalgamated with introspectively titillating vistas. Spellbinding serenities in full bloom! Longer "Bringer Of The Beings", clocking over 9-minute mark, maintains the gliding scenario, again spiced by gently nuanced motifs, while intangibly evocative native glimpses are riding atop. Another superior track! Gossamery minimal and glossy liquid sequencer charm with strong cinematic feel announces "Intergalactic Traveller" and soon commingle with warmly embracing celestial blankets. What an odyssey, pure aural balm is delivered here in huge doses, bravo, Jesse, this is a Hall of Fame piece!!! The next track "Where All The Creatures Are Dreaming" dives into mysteriously colored realms, where helixing patterns bridge with humming subterranean stratums and occasionally permeating gentle dissonant meridians blend with ambiguous reverberations. Stunningly enrapturing exploration! "Mosaic Of Whispers", backed by nebulously ethereal layers, conceals the listener inside of the fascinatingly hypogeous cyber-biotic domains. The gates to peculiarly transcendental Eden are unlocked... Kudos for guest appearance on this, rather shorter masterpiece goes to kindred soul Nathan Youngblood, who provided sonic loops and drones. High five, Jesse & Nate!!! But please add few more minutes next time... Nearly 10-minute "When The Sea Disappears From Me" is carried by panoptically traversing drifts, but later inconspicuously ascending sequences steal the center stage and keep on propelling the core along with glancing harsher piquancies. Infinite drones are insistently guarding above. "Sky Descender" is carved with oracularly minimal and weirdly enchanting rumbles, while languid cadences pervade, evolve and towards the end interact with remotely gliding and enthrallingly deserted expanses. "Living In The Clouds", at 11:22 the longest piece on the album, is silently amplifying with constantly illuminating high-pitched particles. Clandestinely heightening into a truly monumental, yet placidly sweeping vertexes. An epic soundscape! "The Chroma Plateau", the title composition serves a very strong conclusion with meandering vintage-infused sequencer insignias, reinforced by spirals of sharper outbursts. Nostalgic melodies quietly awaken, support and finalize this profoundly reflective ride.

More of deep listening surveys are needed, but then "The Chroma Plateau" fully reveals all its magic, this is a really all-inclusive monster album by Numina, no question about this!!! 71 minutes of pure aural adventure awaits here, no matter if intensely immersing, bizarrely mindscaping or emotionally transporting, "The Chroma Plateau" is relentlessly driven by skilled and refined wizardry of its sole sonic architect. Bravissimo, Jesse Sola!!! For all connoisseurs of physical editions, Jesse has still available around 12 of his solo and collaboration CDs/CDrs via his Bandcamp site. It's a highly recommended merch indeed!!!

Richard Gürtler (Apr 28, 2019, Bratislava, Slovakia)

[thirdsystem]

As ever, thanks for the tip on this one Richard. Superb album I have been listening to on Spotify all week. Really beautiful, atmospheric stuff. I will have to get this.

Cheers
Paul

[richardgurtler]

As ever, thanks for the tip on this one Richard. Superb album I have been listening to on Spotify all week. Really beautiful, atmospheric stuff. I will have to get this.

Cheers
Paul

Thanks a lot, Paul, for your kind words, it's much appreciated!!! All the best and keep on exploring and enjoying!!!

Richard :)