The Outer Space Adventurer As Scored By Tommy

The concept release has already been a format well implemented this year. From Lazerhawk's Visitors, to Arcade High's Beauty Queen to the recent Night Heat from Arc Neon; the themed EP and LP are becoming a superb way of making the music speak even louder, with more presence and power making the experience something far greater than the sum of it's parts.

From this point on the idea of what makes a concept album great in the 80s inspired synth scene has changed and evolved into something even greater. Synth soundtrack music is often cited as one of the more emotive 80s synth styles. The work of artists like Vangelis, Jan Hammer, Giorgio Moroder and Harold Faltermeyer (and many more) is a common inspiration for modern producers. The scores these
artists wrote, for what we now consider classics, are timeless and it's hard to even imagine watching the movies these composers scored for without the musical accompaniment.



Tommy's Outer Space Adventurer is a high water mark for the concept/soundtrack genre. Simply put, this is a motion picture experience without the need for the visuals. Over the twenty pieces that make up this album the gamut of 80s sci fi space adventure is explored, detailled and experienced first hand. Through alien cities, heated laser battles, cosmic betrayals, the spirit of humanity and the triumph of good over evil is delivered directly into our imaginations.

The key word in this album is triumph. There is a feeling of triumph in the face of adversity, beating the odds, risking it all for a greater good, that is ever present. From the opening introductory pieces the feeling of being a part of something bigger than the indivual, something cosmic in scale. It's a beautiful way of building a sense of where we are and where we're going. The manner in how this is delivered is the master stroke of Tommy's creative talent.

Pieces are allowed to grow and evolve, to be nurtured and explored. Nothing in this entire release feels rushed or unfinished. It's a side to Tommy that I didn't even realise existed until now. The music loses itself in it's own universe, taking us along for the ride of our lives. It's something that becomes very apparent by the mid point of the record. The scope of where we've been and where we're yet to go is awe inspiring. By the time the credits are rolling during the final track the feeling of being completely entertained and wholly satisfied with what we've experienced is the ultimate reward.

I find it hard to isolate any part of this album as each and every track's purpose and vitality is borne from the previous one and taken even further by the proceeding piece. This is something I've taken to listening to in one complete sitting, as one would take in a movie and I believe this album mixed as one track, or perhaps two, would make for an even grander experience. Outer Space Adventurer brings Tommy to the forefront of quality 80s inpired synth producers, his use of almost every single sub genre of this music throughout the album is staggering. But the really special part is that every track sounds like Tommy, not someone trying emulate another producer but someone who's found their sound.

The Tommy sound is what powers the Out Space Adventurer album, it's a fuel the gleams with chrome  and sparkles with a distant star's light. It's the power of emotion, excitement, drama and loss. It's the sound of triumphant success in a cosmic battle where failure means humanity's end. A story for the ages created with fantastic surrealism that is tempered by the human emotions within us all.

Outer Space Adventurer is now available on Tommy's Bandcamp here and I would encourage everyone to take home this perfectly contstructed space opera today and let it become a place and time you can visit whenever you feel the need to take to the stars to save humanity.