by Jason

I’m no stranger to Lunaria’s output. Back in 2018, I covered Lunaria’s Constellation Tatsu release Ascension Now. This time, I am covering the newest album from Lunaria and the fabulous Aural Canyon. It is called Mist and Light and it contains four tracks of varying length. For those of you new to Lunaria’s output, it is the project of Daniel Guillén who hails from Zaragoza, Spain. His light, tonal choices create warm, enveloping sound blankets that nestle the listener into a state of comfort and peace.

Mist and Light begins with “Lullaby for the Clouds” and it is just that, a lullaby. Slowly swaying with a light percussive tone and lilting melodies, this piece is just incredibly soothing. Layers of synths move in and out of the soundscape like tital swells that melt back into the sea. Then a static wall moves forward, giving one the sense that rain has fallen on the glassy, swelling movements. Guillén proves once again to be a master sonic painter, transporting the listener to dreamlike wonderlands. “Numinous”, at its start, almost evokes the vastness of space, with the darkness around you and the brilliance of a nebula in the distance. Bright tonekeys flicker from left to right in the speakers, ever so lightly playing a melody. For me, my mind moves to the possibilities of unexplored planets and serene cosmic locations. The drone them rises and falls into silent moments with synths filling the void. This point in the movement evokes hesitance and perhaps the feeling of inevitable encounter in an unknown place with unknown beings.

The titular track, “Mist and Light”, warmly warbles into sonic view. As warbling synth is met by a rapidly panning tone that swirls the head. Another higher and brighter synth joins the dance as it rushes about like beautiful arrays of birds or the buzzing of insects. We meet here once again a more down to earth piece as Guillén returns us to familiar pastures. This familiarity then leaps into something other, perhaps like an earth in the future, evoking soundtracks like those found in the Blade Runner films. “Secret Path”, the conclusion to this calming and synergistic album, begins like clouds gliding on warm spring winds. Here, the skies open and the vastness of the stratosphere and the awe it inspires is interpreted through sound.

Mist and Light is a transcendental experience. Lunaria proves to inspire, calm, and create a cascade of beautiful aural rivers that can evoke so much for so many. This is the kind of music you want to listen to through headphones while in a place of meditation. As a fan of Guillén’s work, I am continually drawn into his music with every single release. You can get a copy of Mist and Light at the Bandcamp link below. Get a limited cassette copy or a copy on digital.