Belgian composer and electronic musician Jan Borré works in heady, colorful tones via synths. His work is lush in warm analog vibes and sweeping, cinematic movements. My first time listening to Borré was with his 2019 opus GRAYSON, an imagined soundtrack written around the Star Trek world. In-particular, Mr. Spock and his human mother Amanda Grayson. But before you go “Well I don’t know anything about Star Trek”, let me tell you it’s not necessary to be a Trekkie to enjoy Borré’s engaging and thoughtful sound world dedicated to Spock’s human mom. If you are a Roddenberry uber fan then the story’s narrative is merely Vulcan icing on the cake. If you’re a fan of synth scores for 70s and 80s sci-fi movies, then Jan Borré has you covered.
Jan Borré has returned to the world of Star Trek and Amanda Grayson, and once again is working with stellar UK label Spun Out Of Control. Grayson II: Sands Of Praconia is a stunning work that stands up to the best of those early synth-heavy film soundtracks. Everyone from Vangelis to Brad Fiedel to Charles Bernstein to Richard Band come through in this lush and engaging album. From tension-filled suspense to ethereal beauty, Grayson II: Sands Of Praconia has it all.
Here’s the synopsis of the story from Jan Borré himself:
Praconia, a remote planet caught in a bitter dispute. The Ozmi seek to exploit its resources, while the nomadic Prakans claim it as their ancestral home. But the planet hides a secret beneath its surface.
After an archaeological team uncovers evidence supporting the Prakan cause, Earth sends Amanda Grayson as a mediator.
As she grows closer to the enigmatic archaeologist Prim, the mysteries surrounding the planet’s strange ecosystem begin to unravel.
With tensions mounting, Amanda must navigate hidden truths about Praconia’s past – and what it means for its future – before it’s too late.
We open up on the mysterious and gorgeous “The Sand”. You can feel the mystery and heaviness of what’s at stake. Almost mournful synth hovers in the air, revealing the world we are about to enter. “The Dig” is reminiscent of the emotional synth touches you’d hear throughout the 80s in both television and film. The rhythmic pulse brings it all into more modern times, but there’s a heaviness to it all. “Ion Storm” is subtle but effective, giving us both a retro-futuristic feel in its symphonic touches. This track truly paints a technicolor landscape for us to get lost in.
Throughout Grayson II: Sands Of Praconia, Borré takes his time building both a musical and cinematic world. You can close your eyes and almost see an alien world built of sand and wind, and the heroine Amanda Grayson making her away across the landscape. From the subtle touches of “Not What It Seems” to the slick and mysterious “Charge” to the hazy beauty of “Life”, Borré and Amanda Grayson take us on a widescreen adventure. The epic “A Trail In The Sand” closes things beautifully, bringing this sound journey full circle in circuital light, and maybe even foreshadowing of future cinematic journeys with Amanda Grayson.
If you love those classic synth scores of the 70s and 80s then Grayson II: Sands Of Praconia will be an album you’ll love to get lost in. Star Trek fan or not, this album is a must-listen for synth fans everywhere.
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