Andrew Crawshaw is the sort of creative that never shuts the machine down; whether creating beautiful, singular screenprint art as the owner of Broken Press Design in Seattle or as record label runner for SFI Recordings, Andrew is in a constant state of creative movement.
With SFI Recordings Crawshaw has put out some amazing records over the last several years, all in the heavy synth realm. Cosmic shots of Tangerine Dream-like headiness, hazy New Age, proggy synth journeys, and even reissuing classic limited cassette releases onto gorgeous vinyl from Steve Moore and AE Paterra. Not only is the music amazing, but there is great care put into releasing these in very limited screenprint album sleeves, far out artwork, and some of the cleanest pressings around.
SFI Recordings is also where Andrew releases his own music. From the hazy New Age trips of New Frontiers to the prog synth rock of Somafree Institute to the hazy, heady synth baths of Meridian Arc. His latest release is Meridian Arc’s Continuum, an elegant swirl of 70s Berlin School and 80s Private Press releases all rolled into a compact 30 minute LP. This is the kind of album you get lost in.
When you hit play on Continuum you’re swallowed up by buzzing electronic sound. “Time Ever Collapsing” pulls you into its atmosphere in mysterious swaths of noise that feels like the beginning of some sci fi epic. Swirling melody collides into sonic peace. It captures the one-two punch of Tangerine Dream’s back-to-back masterpieces Phaedra and Rubycon. Mellotron strings lead us into the mysterious “A Process In Decline”. A feeling of vast space surrounds you as the song bubbles under the surface in a flurry of circuital urgency. “Distant Memory” is the sound of cascading light and fuzzy visions just out of reach. It’s like waking from some epic sleep and everything is just out of focus in the morning sun.
Elsewhere title track “Continuum” is reminiscent of the great German pharmacist/synth maker Rüdiger Lorenz. Crawshaw captures the feel of Lorenz’ classic Invisible Voices in this great track. “Gaze Upon Eternity” settles like slow fog in a haze of both melancholy and optimism. And closing track “Erasure” ends things on low frequency synth tones, as menacing as it is captivating. And with its Oberheim OB-Xa sound, it’s a pure nostalgia hit that you’ll want to replay over and over.
Continuum is another stunning release from Andrew Crawshaw and Meridian Arc. This is for the synth heads, Krautrock lovers, and everyone that could use a musical escape.
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