Album Review: Laughing in the dark EP by Children of Static

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Following a two-year hiatus, synthwave artist Children of Static returns with a subtle refinement of their electronic ambient sound on Laughing in the dark EP.

After releasing their debut EP over three years ago, which has been followed by a pair of singles (“Mainframe Angels” and “Biotic (​生​物​的​)”) in 2020, Children of Static has returned with another ambient project, Laughing in the dark EP. Andy Gerwig, the individual behind all of the instrumentation, production, mixing, and artwork for Children of Static, shies away from acoustic implementation on the seven-track instrumental EP, opting for a more subtle and refined electronic sound than heard in any of their prior works.

The EP opens with “Start Up.” Spanning just under a minute, this shorter track eases the listener into a calming ambient soundscape through sustained synth chords resembling the timbre of an organ. The chords are met with another synth that repeats an arpeggiated pattern consisting of three notes moving in an upward motion, soon followed by a sparse plucking sound. The layers of synths quickly build and fade out, without ever reaching a strong resolution.

However, this lack of closure works well to carry the listener to the title track, “Laughing in the dark,” which begins with lush synth pad chords that are quickly defined by a strong drum groove, adding a key rhythmic element to the track. As layers of synth pads, arpeggiated chords, and melodies are added or removed, the instrumentation of the drum groove alternates, with the heavier kick drums occasionally cutting out and coming back in, adding an intriguing texture to the song. Towards the halfway mark, we reach a bit of a sonic climax as some quicker-paced downward moving arpeggiated rhythms are added. A harmonic shift in the second half of the song brings about a more mysterious feeling, which is then used as a counterpoint to earlier melodic ideas, giving the 5-minute track some important variety before it comes to a close.

The third track, “Pool of Radiance,” follows a similar pattern of adding and removing sonic layers, opening with arpeggiated chords on a synth resembling the texture of a Rhodes keyboard. This repeating pattern is met with more chords and some white noise, the latter of which acts as an interesting sonic layer and provides a gratifying change in texture to the listener’s ear. In the context of the EP, this drumless track provides nice variation before moving to “First Impact,” which brings back a looped drum machine rhythm similar to that heard on “Laughing in the dark.” The drum loop is complemented by a plucked bass synth, which has a dispersed pattern that leads well into some noisier synth pads, many of which–in true synthwave fashion–have an indescribable nostalgic feel.

Perhaps the most futuristic-sounding track off this EP is “Ultraworld,” which accomplishes the sound through sharper synth chords, as well as an arpeggiated melody that almost sounds like a laser gun. A counter melody is introduced for a cycle, removed, brought back in, and then removed again as the track comes to an end. By cycling low pass filters and toggling the melodic and harmonic elements, Children of Static’s sound makes it feel as if the various elements of this track are washing over the listener like gentle ocean waves.

The penultimate track, “Majic 12,” offers some important variation in the otherwise well-established pattern of looping melodic and harmonic ideas and adding or subtracting sonic elements of the track. The snares of the drum groove occasionally strike on unexpected beats, yet the overall repetition of the pattern gives a solid rhythmic foundation upon which undulating melodic ideas are highlighted. Following a key switch, some iconic acid bass sounds are introduced, which are instantly recognizable by their high resonance.

The EP concludes with another short song, which, like the introductory track, begins with dreamy synth chords. “Bios” is an apt conclusion to the ambient EP, as the sparse nature of its descending melodic pattern gives the listener a strong sense of closure, posing as an inversion to the opening track.

On Laughing in the dark EP, Children of Static seems to be embracing more of the subtle aspects of gradually building and releasing tension in ambient music. Though the artist often works in formulaic chunks–which may not lend this project well to repeated active listening–the subsequent soundscape that is generated through layers upon layers of synth chords, pads, leads, and bass is comfortingly stagnant. 

To keep up-to-date with Children of Static, you can find them on Bandcamp, Facebook, and SoundCloud

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