Brian Kassan strikes again with his latest album release: “Left to Our Own Devices.” The multi-instrumentalist and producer has been releasing his music since 2017 under the stage name: “BLOOMFIELD MACHINE.” Yet, he’s been in the music scene for far longer; he was the original bassist/co-songwriter with the band “Wondermints,” led the Rock-pop band: “Chewy Marble” till 2008, and a lot of his music received recognition, and was featured on TV and in movies.
“Left to Our Own Devices” is a 16-track electronic album with a rock influence that is reflected in every turn, which makes sense given that the artist is mainly influenced by 70s progressive rock and classical music genres, along with bands like Boards of Canada, My Bloody Valentine, Gary Numan, Casino Vs. Japan, New Order, and Air. Each of these tracks is a piece on its own; they vary from 1 to 2 minutes long, but each has its own idea. Imagine this; once you press play, think of it as a compilation of short stories, each one with its own story to recite; the music helps you visualize it, and it just vividly comes to life. The first track “Reality Collapse” has a more futuristic nature with a psychedelic feel. The 2nd track “The Imperative” has an electronic foundation but is more melody-based. Moving to the third track “Looking for Leverage” is the perfect fusion of genres, between progressive rock, classical music, and electronic music, I could sense a Bach influence in the opening melody, he then uses a distorted guitar sound with an electronic approach to play his melodies, then wraps it all up with jazz-vibe. Later in the album, you will hear the influence of rock growing more like in “Ghost Passenger,” “Minister of Loneliness,” and “Levels of Infinity.” Throughout the album, I enjoyed the melodies, the riffs, their progressions, and how it all was nicely blended. It’s an album you don’t wanna miss.