Recording as Synthesist, Christopher Pearre presents Dream Slate, a set of electronic works inspired by music he heard in a dream and infused with chakra-resonating tonal structures and Solfeggio Frequencies which, according to Pearre, “were believed to impart tremendous spiritual blessings when sung in harmony during religious masses.” High-level stuff, indeed. What comes of it is a mix of pieces that range from retro-feeling analog-style rides to deeper ambient delvings. Within that mix, it’s the simpler pieces that rise above their counterparts. While the opening track, “Ocean Sunrise” and the closer, “Soaring” are well-made songs, they stray a little too far into early-New-Age territory for me. “Ocean Sunrise,” in fact, reminded me of how much I liked Suzanne Ciani’s Seven Waves back in the day. When Pearre moves into a driftier space, the work shifts to a whole new level. There’s a calm and interesting stretch beginning with “Gong Song,” a smooth drone with flute, light percussion and, yes, the occasional gong. Nature sounds twitter and chirp on the background as Synthesist wraps your brain in dark silk and sings quietly to it. He keeps it going into “Soul Frequency,” lifting up waveforms and letting them slowly melt into resonant echoes that blend off into the distance. Truly one of the highlights of the disc. He hits it spot-on again in the soft, warm washes of  “Heart Chakra.” Although it’s only five minutes long, it stretches time and would continue to work had Synthesist afforded it even more space. Again, this is not to downplay the other tracks here. “Star Fields” in a catchy piece that mixes a delicately pulsing beat with sweeping chords that would be right at home on any spacemusic track. “Sixth Chakra Suite” bumps right along with downtempo chill and a smoky attitude. For me, though, Dream Slate is at its best when Synthesist gives himself over to the flow. It’s a solid first release, and I look forward to hearing more from Synthesist.

Available at CDBaby.