Published on Jul 26, 2012
Spearheaded by Danish producer and multi-instrumentalist Tobias Wilner in 2000, these days Blue Foundation has added Bo Rande to the equation, and together the pair flesh out experimental and dream pop sensibilities to worldwide acclaim. Now based in Brooklyn, the duo continues to illustrate that they are well versed in electronica, shoegaze, and hazy pop. Currently four albums deep into their recording career, Blue Foundation brings in a handful of collaborators to help birth these atmospheric and melodic ideas on the recently dropped In My Mind I Am Free.
The intro “Just A Hand” reinforces the band’s ability to deliver blurry atmospheres combined with gentle vocals. It’s Blue Foundation as we know them from the beginning – a song oozing with spacey meandering. “Ground Control” shifts gears with an almost industrial feel, and displays Blue Foundation at their most jagged. The band always have their experimental nods in check, with tracks like “Dressed In Black” having plenty of almost video game like noises buried under the thick shoegaze. Though most tracks linger around the five to six minute mark, disc highlight “Fundamental” is a shorter song with emphasis on soft vocals under the playful synth.
Though the core of the band’s sound doesn’t vary much from track to track, they have recruited a long list of hands to chip in on this disc and vary up the sound (notable appearances include Sara Savery, Jonas Bjerre, Findlay Brown, etc.). The addition of plenty of bleeps and bloops mixed with acoustic guitars and bells keeps the listener guessing, making the entire disc seem to come from a more ambient standpoint. This is most evident on the track “Lost,” a glitchy, psych-influenced experience full of twists and turns and charming female vocals.
A fascinating blend of electro-pop, lush shoegaze, and harmonic dream pop with even some subtle industrial undertones, In My Mind I Am Free sounds like it would fit right at home with ‘80s synth pop, ‘90s alt-rock as well as the current trend of indie-tronic exploring.
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