After a wait of 3 months, Moon & Aries are back with the conclusion of their 3 EP journey, with the third episode of Break The Matrix, and while their sound is consistently tight, crisp, and sweet, the third episode manages to craft a sound that’s more mature and memorable, with richer compositions, and more layered and nuanced arrangements.
Familiar at this point is Moon and Aries’s lineup. Composed of German composer and producer Tom Aries, and Canadian singer/songwriter Jordana Moon, Moon and Aries is a collaboration of forces half the world apart. The third episode and the conclusion of their trilogy start with Illumination Society, which I will leave for the end. Never For Me is an uptempo fusion of Latin music with electronics, with its throbbing synth bass, and clean synth chord hits, interspersed with Latin percussion and syncopated claps. Never For Me is a dynamic composition always in motion, with little to no lines of distinction between verses and choruses, the song is one long, driving section, with just enough diversions to the composition to break the monotony, stopping just short of making the affair directionless with too many diversions. The vocals across the EP are rich and delightfully layered with lush harmonies and Jordana Moon’s unforgettable wide vibrato. Her voice and lyrics are compelling and dramatic. From Another Dimension is the closer. A dark, dance banger, with tight and punchy techno beats, a composition laced with melancholy, and a vocal delivery full of character, that goes spoken word for whole lines, and resorts to vocalized melodies on many occasions, for one of the most enjoyable and driving Moon and Aries songs in the entire trilogy. And talking about superlatives, let’s discuss Illumination Society, their crowning jewel, and one of the most hypnotizing and neat songs in my whole recent memory. With an uncommon progression that taps into the magical world of the Mixolydian b6 scale that lends the song a mystique that’s unmistakable and exotic, balanced with a pedal note sub-bass of syncopated stabs, the result is a delicately balanced offering that sounds fresh and unfamiliar, while being infinitely inviting and approachable. It’s a perfectly calculated song that’s at once simple and intricate, and it is a song I thoroughly enjoyed.
The 3rd episode of Break The Matrix might be my personal favorite among the 3. It is punchy, with crisp and succulent production, vibrant moods, and a colorful aesthetic that matches its beautiful artwork. Moon and Aries are a match made in heaven, and with the conclusion of their 6-month trip, I am left desperately hungry for more.