Under Review

Mind Cinema

Sun Beat

Independent

Review by Slavko Bucifal

Any and all activities that require alertness or attentiveness should be avoided while listening to the debut release from Mind Cinema as their pedigree of upbeat ambient shoegaze will undoubtedly encourage the mind to slip in and out of consciousness—no stimulants needed. Sun Beat features layered meandering guitars, mesmerizing beats and soft, dreamy vocals all sounding like they were recorded in a huge echoing palace. “Monkeys” welcomes the listener with a country twang and harmonized vocals which get sampled over each other to produce the ambient wanderings of the track. “Lovesick High” seamlessly continues the vibe with toasty synths that are careful to avoid sounding cheap or cheesy. Their single, “Solar Rays,” is an epic of strings, synths, melt-in-your-ear vocals and a motif that comes as close to a chorus as you will get on the album. “The Downsides of Freedom” contains uncharacteristic aggressive vocal bellows midway through the track that sound a tad out of place, but the spacey delayed guitars are a good consolation. The album finishes with “Rec 22,” an indie pop song at its foundation fed through a thousand delay and reverb machines creating a warm and soft finale to the eight-song EP. Based out of Vancouver and Mexico, Mind Cinema has created a debut with many memorable moments that will echo into your subconsciousness, and though you may not be humming any of the tunes in the shower, you will appreciate the masterfully blended soundscapes and hypnotizing beats. The EP is available for a free download from their website, www.themindcinema.com.