Like all of CMND.CTRL’s material, the new EP is subjective to the listener. Here on “Ambient Music For Farmers” he has crafted an emotionally-stirring, calculated epic of ambient electronica, but what you see and experience is really out of his hands.
This EP is an amazingly mellow groove, showcasing the earthy unique keyboards that seem to be a CMND.CTRL trademark. So few electronic music acts can convey real emotion in their music, but this guy does it very easily.
The opening track “April”, is where the focus is divided between the beat, the atmosphere and the general sound CMND.CTRL creates. He thrives on something fundamental. There is so much unexplored beauty in this life, yet many people seem to be afraid of venturing into the wilderness to find it.
Iowa native Justin Anderson’s aka CMND.CTRL finds it…along with a lot of other things too. If you’re looking for an easy listening record then this is not the EP for you – no hooks, no pumping basslines, or even fundamental, conventional verse-bridge-chorus, song structures. This is music that could be associated with movie soundtracks.
You need to build pictures in your mind’s eye for this to fully capture your attention. There’s the occasional flurry of percussion or looping bassline, but for the most part, its CMND.CTRL’s keyboard sounds creating mood-inducing tones and timbres.
The complex tension of the music along with the mysterious aura that Justin creates is mind-blowing. Check out “Frenetic” for some hair-tingling experiences or maybe a song like “Io” – where the beat of the bass is just enough to keep your pulse rate going, and its quiet enough not to interrupt you while you think.
“Lanterns” is almost neo-classical in its piano-driven approach, and together with the EP opener, “April”, probably represents the standouts on this recording.
It is sad to think that scores of people will never probably experience the airy warmth of these songs simply because they don’t sound like what should popular at the moment. I wish more artists took the time to make use of subtlety and high-quality production so effectively.
There is a combination of atmospheric ambience and perfectly restrained beats that is undeniable. CMND.CTRL’s genius resides in his ability to conjure up a tender yearnfulness without sounding cloyingly sentimental, a trap that many electronic artists fall into.
At the same time though, Justin’s music can also candidly confusing, at least for me. In that often I’m not sure if those gentle and alluring soundscapes are intentioned to be sadly melancholic or moderately blissful.
The plus side is that this effect induces you to multiple listening, in a quest to discover the ‘true meaning’ of each track. If you’re somebody who likes music off of the beaten path, CMND.CTRL has proven to be a fantastic discovery. This is gorgeous, gentle ambient electronica, but with enough going on to keep it interesting.
OFFICIAL LINKS: WEBSITE – ITUNES – SOUNDCLOUD
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