New York-based instrumental quintet Royal Arctic Institute bewitches with the melodies of their latest EP “From Cat Nap To Coma.”
“Shore Leave On Pharagonesia,” the second number from the release, is a great example of mysterious lounge. The susurrous shaker and hypno-rhythm draw you in and keep in hazy seclusion, while the spectral noir, surf tone of the guitar maintains this strange serenity, but with a special enigmatic feel. This music evokes a slight coolness, connecting reality and illusion in a strong attraction to the unknown. “Shore Leave On Pharagonesia” is like Laika & The Cosmonauts meet “Twin Peaks.” It’s interesting to note that the track refers to a whimsical 1977 graphic story by French writer and artist Jean Giraud, famously known as Moebius.
