GammaFlow - Twin Palms

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

GammaFlow’s Twin Palms is a sun-soaked, pastel-filled sonic journey that reflects a “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” aesthetic. I enjoy the combination of laid-back soundscapes with a definitive 1980s conception of luxury living, which results in an album full of chilled-out moments and cool blue water sounds. The plethora of talented guest artists only deepens the appeal and engagement of this album.

Atmosphere plays a significant role in the overall feel of Twin Palms. I enjoy the way in which the artist and his fellow music makers are able to draw imagery of a lifestyle full of luxury and indulgence. It evokes white suits, big hair and classic 1980s supercars cruising down palm-lined streets. The way in which these images and sounds combine tickles my unashamed love of 1980s aesthetics.

The way that GammaFlow and his fellow musical contributors use their guitars, synths and voices deepens Twin Palms’ auditory experience. They create tracks that glide and glow, drenched in tropical sunlight and cool swimming pool water. The music evokes ultra-cool atmospheres with smoothness and ease, layering synths in lush waves to create depth and feelings of tranquility and peace.

I also want to mention all of the musical guests who feature on Twin Palms. Each of them brings their unique sonic signature and musical feeling to add to the cohesive and well-conceived emotional tenor of the album. They are all immensely talented and their contributions only increase the listening pleasure of the music.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Ocean Breeze” comes to life as a spangling synth smoothly expands and pure, clear sounds slide while solid bass pounds softly. Orion’s satiny smooth voice slides with affectionate, dreaming emotion as crystal chimes flash delicately. Orion speaks the next line, then Lemon mixes in her voice to create a warming harmony.

Clarity fills the radiant synth as it floats limpidly, while the resonant vocals echo with deep feeling. The summer sun is reflected in the sparkling synth while the percussion adds a heartbeat. Both singers' voices mix with passionate feeling, Lemon’s voice adding a softer touch to Orion’s vocals. Brilliant synth flows with easy motion above the continually throbbing bass.

Pastel notes become a luscious flow before the gleaming synth spills out more radiance. Orion’s calming vocals drift and caress before the chorus slips in again, permeating me with peace. The synth doubles the vocals, suffusing the music with lucid life before the song ends.

Our storyteller tells the subject that he can’t ignore all the signs—“the moment you explore all the good times.” He speaks of "riding by the shore, floating on the sea, coasting on the wind" in the ocean breeze.

The narrator talks about holding his arms wide open "in place of the sun" as they embrace the night and dance. They are surrounded by street lights and “all of the glowing signs flow into the night.”

With “every moment, every winding road to the sunlight,” our storyteller reflects. He adds, “we can’t forget all the wrong times, the ones we regret.” However, in the end, there’s still a recollection of the good times.

A full synth rises with a rich, slightly gruff sound as “Promenade” starts . The synth creates tranquility as it moves with fragility. Clean notes move along with an active slap bassline that wanders in bursts. The percussion forms a dynamic, swinging pulse as slightly nasal-sounding notes intertwine and a reverberant keyboard carries a gently encouraging melody above the shaping percussion and dense bass.

Twinkling notes sing out with an uplifting feeling as they are joined by a bending, wistful synth that winds while the funky slap bass locks with the drumbeat. The brightly nasal synth calmly hovers as a fluting note pattern carries my relaxed mind with it. The slap bass is fat and guiding as the percussion continues to pulse.

The polished synth lambently floats past and the bending notes have a soothing effect as they hover. The funky bass and steady percussion create a lush bed for the elevated synth to roam and the track trembles into silence on flaring notes.

“Waterfront” commences as an effulgent, widely sweeping synth fills the music with serenity. The bass is massive and supportive as the drums pulsate and pan pipes flow past with relaxed gentleness, exhaling and spreading calm to me. Round-sounding, open synth flickers as twisting notes cry out with a tranquil touch above the smoothly guiding low end.

The drums rebound and the bass throbs as reverent sounds mix with easy motion. The bass continues to quickly pulsate and the drums guide while the shiny synth irradiates the music. The bass intermingles as the pan pipes continue to slide with laid-back emotion and the tightly flickering notes jump out above the continually guiding low end.

Once again, the synth slowly expands, carrying a slightly wistful but chilled-out melody. Vocal-sounding synth forms a luscious sound bed before the track ends on glimmering notes.

Densely glittering synth clouds swell upward as “Business Casual” opens \. Luminosity spills out as the thick slap bass intertwines and moves in gnarly lines. Dan Mason’s voice echoes as the bass interlocks and the drums pulsate. The delicacy of the vocals carries out as he speaks of wanting to be sent away, while the percussion ticks easily.

Dan Mason’s vocals are soft as he speaks about catching love and dreaming about it, tenderly unfolding as the lucid synth spills out. Nasally bending notes float with gossamer delicacy while the slap bass intertwines.

Dan Mason says he’s got nothing to hold and love. The shiny notes tremble with delicacy as he adds aching emotion, wishing for missing love. shimmery notes sing out with a floating melody that I find touching as the gnarly bass joins a synth wave.

The vocals are spaced out and full of nostalgic desire as a softly illuminating synth drifts and the fat bass tumbles. Xylophone reverberates with calm before the track ends.

“Open Spaces” starts off as vibrating notes move and the voice-over shifts. The voice-over adds a sensual and passionate feeling as the chimes sparkle and heavy percussion forms a shaping influence. The dreamy guitar drifts with tranquility as heavily rebounding notes pulsate. Disembodied vocals wander, adding a disconnected feeling.

The chimes are glassy as the guitar floats past, chilled out and full of warmth. The drums patter as the vocals echo in drifting waves. The continually vibrating drums and bass add form while the trickling chimes create a filigree of light. I am enamored of the untethered feeling which fills the track as it glides past. The guitar shines lusciously to balance the roaming vocals before the track comes to an end.

A tremulous synth moves in fragile and haunted lines to begin "Midnight Heat". Fat bass intertwines below intensely illuminating chimes as a hang drum synth rings with metallic resonance. Chopped-up lyrics speak of midnight heat as panpipes drift and drums bounce. The hang drum adds dynamically dancing, yet gentle sounds while the explosive drums continue.

A sax planes through with minor-key elegance, twisting through the music to create a feeling of uncertain emotion as the rebounding low end shifts. I enjoy the sneaky feeling of the sax as it unwinds and the broken vocal echoes. Panpipes levitate with trailing, breathy feelings as the vocals echo again. The drums and bass are thick and heavy, while the bright hang drum and flashing chimes intermingle. The feeling of weightless drifting fills the music before the track ends on the sax.

"Dream Sequence" starts off as creamy, massive bass forms a rich flow in the distance as muffled drums throb and entangling notes glide together. The sound grows clearer as crisp drums add shape. Bell-like synth carries a calming melody, reminding me of blue water and sunlight. Metallic percussion ticks as azure synth clouds rise and twangy bass flows while sparkling chimes flutter.

Rounded, breezy synth slips past in soothing motion while the huge low end adds form to the track. The drums create a clean pulse as bending, pastel notes slide and chimes flit as sunlight glints from them.

The chiming synth melody is easygoing while the drums and bass add motion underneath it. Bass tumbles past and intermingling synth slides back into indistinct haze before silence falls. My mind fills with deep relaxation as the music enfolds me like warm water in this track.

Blaring synth heats like the summer sun to commence "White Sands." A solidly throbbing kick drum moves underneath the chimes, which have a string-like quality and metallic brightness as they flutter above the funky low end. The drums groove along with the slap bass as distant notes fill with early morning sunlight.

The chimes have an effervescent sensation as the slap bass moves with a steady groove. Trickling notes move with aquatic feelings as the blaring notes spill out with brilliance. The sensation of cooling in the midst of the ocean and sun draws me in. Flitting notes slip past as the bass rumbles. Hollow percussion pulsates as the open-voice synth drifts in a soothing and slightly broken melody before the music ends.

“World Class” opens as resonating bells flare brightly and a restful bass flow moves. Distant drums softly touch the music, adding form while the brilliant bells flash. Slap bass moves with a twangy feeling as a vocal-sounding synth carries a soothing melodic pattern.

Elevated notes glint with crystalline luminosity as the low end offers guidance. Tropical light suffuses the music as the chimes ring softly and the percussion continues to tick with an easy motion. Breathiness spills as the music is pierced by bells, and the slap bass adds a funky quality while the flowing notes intermingle. Glittering sounds drift past and the drums add shape.

Now the electric guitar moves with jazzy energy, flicking and singing as it skips through the music. Underneath, the low end continues to move forward as the chimes sparkle on. The guitar flies to the sky with leaping dynamism. I enjoy the freeness and easy-going nature of the music as the track ends on bright notes.

Traffic sounds and rapidly glimmering synth sparks move above slowly pulsing drums to open “Big City Lights”. The thick, rounded bass adds support to the notes which dance like lights at night. A hollow-sounding panpipe trickles in a melody that’s mellow and chill, like an apartment above the city skyline.

The xylophone-like notes are joined by coruscating sounds that wash and flow above the steadily moving low end. Tightly wound synth wriggles with a calm flow as the percussion moves with the dense bass. Shiny sounds float with starlet illumination, and I imagine myself watching the view from the penthouse, far above the hustle and bustle of the street.

“Willow” comes alive as bending notes slowly tremble and rebound. Drums add a strong pulse as lustrous-sounding synth intermingles with impassioned sax, crying out with reedy density.

Ethereally drifting notes form a luscious flow as the widely throbbing drums move with electric bass. Elevated, burnished notes shimmer past the steadily pulsing low end while the sax adds a chilled-out and cool emotional change. Chimes radiate a polished feeling as the drums move with solid propulsion.

As the sax unwinds, it carries me to a place of sophisticated relaxation while the bright notes permeate the music. The splashy percussion interlocks with the bass as a tumbling curtain of synth and glamorous, spreading chords move around before the track ends on the sax.

Conclusion

Twin Palms transports me to a retro fantasy world full of ultra-luxurious decadence. It has a serene beauty mixed with dynamic energy and is full of well-drawn imagery that carries my imagination with aplomb. When one adds the skillful guest contributions, the end result is a highly enjoyable listening experience.