Epic Dreams - In The Cold Light Of Day

Anna Logue Records comes through yet again with another minimal synthpop gem. This time it’s Epic Dreams from Germany. In order to see where they are today we must go back to where it all began in 1986 under the moniker, The Hulk. The band stayed active until 1989 and sadly was never able to release any material. Fast forward to the year 2008, original members of The Hulk, Joa, Andi and Götz sought to revive the flair and sound of the early 80’s electronic new wave music by reforming and self-releasing a retrospective CD covering The Hulk years all the way to the inception of the new phase of the band as Epic Dreams. Years would pass and Epic Dreams would finally get the chance to truly display their talents on a 19 track CD titled ‘In The Cold Light Of Day’ on the above-mentioned Anna Logue Records. The CD version is limited to a mere 500 copies and was mastered at The Cage by the legendary Martin Bowes of Attrition. For the vinyl lovers, a 2LP version with different tracks and variations is in the works for later this year.
'In The Cold Light Of Day’ is saturated with memorable tracks. The lyrics dwell and drift in and out personal experiences and social issues important to the author. "The Key Of Life” deals with finding yourself on your own, perhaps with the power of epic dreaming? “Escape Plan” and “Waterfalls” dive into the world of escapism. The trickling synths breathe a beautiful radiance to “Life Signs” while “Love & Hate’” crushes away that very radiance with an ominous and threatening minimal dark vibe about wanting someone to stay in a relationship. The voice says stay, but the music builds a wall of ambivalence that preys on a fragile state of mind. “Great Moments” and “Summer Nights” explore relationships. “Summer Nights” seems to define a fantasy girl that exists only in the author’s mind, while “Great Moments” reveals a possible rekindling of a lost relationship. ”Navigation" is a beautifully crafted piece having a green theme about saving the planet by working together before it’s too late. Perhaps the saddest and most disturbing track is “In Memory”. The story appears to reflect on a tragic accident about a mother and young daughter’s untimely death. Set to a slower pace with piercings of sadness laced into the music serving as a memory of the lost mother and daughter for those that must lament this tragedy.
As many times as I have listened to this album, I can’t quite with any certainty tell you whom Epic Dreams sounds like. The band sites influences from OMD, Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, Experimental Products, Snowy Red, John Foxx, Human League, Rational Youth, ( early) Simple Minds, Soft Cell, and Ceramic Hello. What I do know is that it fits in great with the Anna Logue roster with all its well-structured arrangements and amazing sounds. The dazzling 80’s inspired synths infiltrate every song. The more you listen the more you appreciate. I found myself heavily drawn to this album after a few spins. “Dark Clouds”, “Chains” and “Breakout” stood out as my favorites. The quality is very high on all 19 tracks, unlike some releases where the artists create 3-4 strong tracks and the rest of the album suffers from lackluster offerings. Any track from, 'In The Cold Light Of Day' could easily serve as the single that converts another fan over to their music. 
Whether it's a drive under the midnight's sky or just some downtime wherever you are, "In The Cold Light Of Day' is great listen from beginning to end. Epic job from Epic Dreams.
For the tech-heads out there, Epic Dreams used analogue synths and drum machines such as the Boss Dr. Rhythm DR-110, Casio VL-Tone, Korg KR-55 / M-500 SP Micro-Preset / MS-10, Roland CR-68 / Jupiter-4 / SH-101 and Yamaha CS-01II.
Jul 24 2015