They’re entirely synthetic in nature, but the melodic spiking in the new single “Armadas of the Milky Way” from Elektragaaz sounds so vivid that it feels like we’re listening to the genuine cries of a saxophone rather than something purely electronic in origin. There’s nothing to separate the physical presence of the music from the audience, and although you can listen to this performance without feeling intruded upon, the imposing qualities of the material are impossible for any of us to ignore. For what they were going for in this piece, Elektragaaz have outdone themselves and perhaps found yet another way they can impress the audience as well as critics like myself, who hold pop music to a higher standard than most do.
The foundation of this song is texturally present at all times, which isn’t to say that the electronic melodicism isn’t doing something for listeners on its own – nothing could be further from the truth. There’s a nice juxtaposition of melody and might in this mix that’s preserved not only through the continuity of the arrangement but the cleanliness of the production quality, which is deserving of accolades by itself without taking into account the rest of the musical detail here. That said, Elektragaaz wasn’t leaving things up to chance in this performance, and anyone who listens to “Armadas of the Milky Way” at a higher volume than most is going to understand just how many intricate elements went into making everything come off without a hitch.
This percussive beat in the backdrop is at times the most indulgent component of the music, but next to a relatively minimalist harmony structure, I don’t see anything wrong with going somewhat over the top with the drum parts in this single. Elektragaaz doesn’t want to be the lone beacon of efficiency with this release, and they’re coupling an otherwise conservative compositional approach with a dose of hearty sonic hedonism arguably when we need it the most. There are some acts that are more than content to keep with the status quo in this business, no matter what that might look or sound like, but if you’re listening to this single right now, you can appreciate why I don’t find its performers to be a part of the aforementioned group.
There’s so much movement to be observed within every part of “Armadas of the Milky Way” that it’s easy to abandon focus on the surface-level elements of the song, but this really is a track that feels like a complete release for Elektragaaz and something fans both new and old can behind in a hurry right now. Electronic music is a niche genre no matter how you look at it, but anyone who thought it couldn’t be presented in a more accessible fashion didn’t imagine an act like this one coming together in the time that it has. “Armadas of the Milky Way,” for running almost nine minutes in total, feels like the straightforward prog epic we didn’t know we needed this late summer.
Claire Uebelacker