Synth EP Review: “Echoes Of A Rebellion” by Electric Signals

by Karl Magi

Electric Signals’ “Echoes Of A Rebellion” summons a dystopian world in which the masses are rising to try and seize back control from a rapacious ruling class. The EP is defined by industrial weight, lacerating guitars and raging cyberpunk energy.

“Echoes of A Rebellion” begins with static signals clicking and technological sounds shifting as the voiceover speaks with ominous, computerized threat before a seething underlayer exudes shadow and brilliance reflects from drifting tones. Stormy darkness pours from the background as high notes cry with nervousness, evoking approaching danger.

Pounding underpinnings surge while a broadly flying synth adds drama and interlocking, cascading tones are sliced by jagged edges and a piano ramping up the tension running through the track. Warnings slip from the repetitive synth as gleaming sounds carry a note pattern screaming with terror. My mind is gripped by the fear of overwhelming forces which continue to mass in preparation for attack.

Defiance seizes the guitar as it cuts hard, invoking a rebellious spirit unwilling to give in to the approaching enemy. As widely spaced notes cry fearfully, the lashing under layer continues to create discomfort. Percussion smashes as worried sounds tremble and the guitar churns with barely restrained aggression before the track shatters to an end with sharp notes.

Floating, disconnected sounds whisper before “Rebel By Default” vibrates with shadow as elevated notes slip past and the gargantuan beats propel with indomitable force. Tumbling tones chime with gleaming iridescence while mechanical sounds writhe while the thudding underpinnings are joined by bubbling notes that spill out while a distant melodic theme levitates.

Sounds flash and fall, spinning over and over, while the percussion pushes hard below. I am driven by the industrial tones balanced with delicate notes that weave smoothly in between harsher sounds. A crawling feeling emanates while the rhythm gives way briefly to breathy flow before throbbing aggressively once more. A robotic voice speaks before uncomfortable feelings shiver as the hammering beat creates unstoppable motion before the track ends.

“Data_Runners” shimmers with far-off illumination as gently floating sounds summon a sense of disconnection while disturbances rumble below, full of sharpness. The beat trips while the background exudes pastel luminosity and a sense of undeniable mystery. Nobility grows in the main theme, rising to fill the soundscape with a sensation of resolution, broken only by jagged tones.

With a sense of free-floating, enigmatic energy, the track draws me into a computerized journey while the towering percussion and enormous bass balance the tranquility. It creates feelings of moving in a space outside of reality, a cyber landscape that is both calming and hints at an intensifying threat. The heavy beat rebounds and minor-key tones summon worry and fear to contrast with the softness around them. Digitized tones levitate and slice before the track concludes.

Disturbing notes slide below howling sounds that give “Predator’s Protocol” a feeling of urgency as malevolent forces draw closer. Industrial beats growl and drive with a hollow sound echoing as shredding synth tears a trail below a guitar that showers the music in ferocity. Speed and adrenaline pump through the foundation as high notes twist with sensations that practically scream for you to run.

The hard-hitting underlayer is battered by looming drums as tension pours out of wriggling tones that are dominated by a fearsome guitar. The heavy weight of danger fills me as a mysterious coil of synth creeps past while the crushing underpinnings add drama. Each sonic element contributes to the ever-growing feeling of pursuit while the slicing background drives on before the track stops.

“We Will Fall, But They Will Regret Being Born” comes alive with rain and desolation while towering tones have an orchestral quality as they are joined by a beat that surges forward while expansive arpeggios spin. The rhythm is fierce and presses forward without ceasing before the main theme captures a fight for a noble cause.

A slamming underlayer balances the majestic elegance of the melody while notes evoking slowly growing illumination spread outward. I’m galvanized by the motif that rises with resistance and rebellion while the rain splatters. Heavy weight punches while delicate tones intermingle.

A sinuous lead synth conjures pictures of battling as it tangles in complex lines above the heaviness below. The main theme catches emotions ranging from pride to pain as it unfolds. Chimes cast a gentle glimmer before the main theme comes to an end.