Musician and artist Persona La Ave and pianist Baraka (aka Geoffrey Dean) teamed up once again to release a new instrumental track, “Launch,” last week, and it is, unsurprisingly, a delight.
“Launch” begins with a dose of 80s-inspired synth and plenty of glittering electronic buzzes. Heavy drumming is a standout, giving the song a building, anticipatory feeling, appropriate for its name.
As with any music that involves heavy use of synth, especially of the sort of vaporwave persuasion, the track lends a nostalgic feel, but Persona and Baraka manage to meld that sense of familiarity with a lightness that sounds of-the-moment.
New layers of depth open as the song unfolds, and you notice something fresh, a string of notes here or some hazy spoken words there, with each listen.
It’s always fun to witness the outcome of two extremely talented musicians with a wealth of experience, poignant references, and idiosyncratic ideas joining forces.