David Douglas - Moon Observations (2014)

Dutch producer David Douglas is another musician who’s clearly fallen under that silvery spell, although his debut LP, Moon Observations, is actually inspired by a different star-gazer with the same name. That David Douglas was a 18th century explorer and naturalist, whose writings on astronomical observation has inspired the more modern Douglas’ latest music. As he puts it: “Moon Observations is a musical ode to all moon observers in time”. What the older Douglas would make of these eleven tracks of beautifully fleshed-out electronica is anybody’s guess, but in my opinion it makes for a worthy tribute.

‘Far Side of the Moon’ is the first number to flutter in, and does so in rather blissful fashion. It evokes a fitting weightlessness considering its title, and those looking for a resulting Pink Floyd connection may find it in the soulful yet wordless female vocals that could almost be distant transmissions from ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’. ‘Higher’ is similarly spacey but significantly funkier, less ‘ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space’ and more ‘ladies and gentlemen we’re cruising through the galaxy in a spaceship we’ve chosen to call ‘Astroglide’. For obvious reasons’. As introductions go, they don’t come much sleeker.

Tracklist:

01. Far Side of the Moon (03:33)
02. Higher (03:35)
03. Selene (03:10)
04. Sweet Moonflower (feat. Petter Carlsen) (04:23)
05. Chenab River (03:17)
06. Piano and Flute (01:05)
07. California Poppy (04:04)
08. Romanticism (05:27)
09. White Heat Blood (feat. Blaudzun) (03:44)
10. Je Ne Sais Pas (04:27)
11. Moon Observations (04:55)