‘Future Ruins’ is a dystopic record that has an almost futuristic sheen painted all across it. The synth pop duo Architrave have a unique style to their modernistic dance rock sound that’s glittering with complexity and intricacy all around. The rich synthesizer work, which is rife with an abundance of tense lyricism and a luscious atmosphere that has a warmth and melancholy all at once. The opener, appropriately titled Blissed Out, has an almost cacophonic symphony that’s haywire in its conception but magnificence in its execution. It’s a wildly innovative album, replete with luscious landscapes that consistently leave you as a listener amazed by what the duo are capable of crafting on each subsequent piece.
The bass lines throughout are incredibly infectious, capturing your attention as a myriad of intricate synth production layers leave you bewildered and confounded. It’s a defiantly experimental record in scale that way, not once adhering to a singular pre conceived notion of what’s been done. To some, that offbeat style and imagination might be jarring. But, if you let yourself be immersed in the totality of Future Ruins, it’s bound to have you in absolute awe of its own capabilities.
It’s a record that refuses to leave you alienated, rather opting to entirely reel you in and drown you in the complexity and totality of the soundscapes on offer. Each chord, each melody, each slightly washed over lyric all makes for such an exceptionally lavish sonic journey for the listener. The powering riff on Headcount, the hazy atmosphere of Crown Shyness, and the pulsating beat of Loved and Lost are just some highlights in this mesmerizing record.
Experimental, imaginative, and meticulous. Future Ruins is an artful record to immerse yourself in.