Occasionally one hears parallels in approach to the recent work of Broadcast and the Ghost Box crew, and Solar Bears' music also possesses an electronic sci-fi sheen as rich as their Planet Mu peers, but an emotive, nostalgic side to Supermigration also transcends the now, cutting a path through their diverse inspirations that include everything from Erik Satie to the Incredible String Band, from Cluster to Madlib. Kowalski rightly notes, "It's fair to say we listen to a lot of music from decades gone, but we get inspired far more from spontaneity in the studio." If pushed, Kowalski might also admit the cut "Cosmic Runner" (leaked a while ago on various sites including Pitchfork) was inspired directly by Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger and that "Rainbow Collision" came from a "psychedelic daydream of two stained glass rainbows colliding over a Technicolor ocean...." Solar Bears are all about layers, a sense of movement and drama, brought about by a deep process that has resulted in one of the most exciting sophomore albums this year. Welcome to the trip.
