Chroma Key - dead air for radios

As many Dream Theater fans already know, keyboard player and songwriter Kevin Moore has spent some time working on a solo music project since his departure from Dream Theater. He has dubbed the project "Chroma Key", and the newly released recording is titled "Dead Air for Radios". The players in Chroma Key are as follows:

Kevin Moore: Vocals, Keys, Bass
Mark Zonder: Drums
Jason Anderson: Guitar
Joey Vera: Bass

Dead Air for Radios can be described as a "mood" piece. A somber, melancholy mood is maintained throughout the recording. Because of this consistency, the songs do seem to blend together on the first listen. This is not necessarily bad, since the "everything sounds the same" effect happens a lot when listening to new music. After a few listens, the distinctiveness of the individual songs becomes apparent.

The recording has a techno, modern rock feel, yet it might also be termed adult contemporary. It sometimes helps to list the influences that are evident when describing a new recording. Some well-known artists who come to mind are Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, New Order, Duran Duran, Sting, Bryan Ferry and Tool. Of course the comparison is with the "somber" side of these artists. As a mood piece, the recording could be compared to Peter Gabriel's Security. This comparison is made stronger by the vocals, which come out very similar to Gabriel at times.

For fans of dialog and sound bites ala Pink Floyd, Queensryche or Dream Theater, you won't be disappointed. They are abundant throughout the recording.

Lyrically, Kevin holds true to his high-quality, somewhat obscure writing style. This abstract style lends itself well to the recording as a whole, and enhances the mood and imagery that are evoked by the music.

For guitar fans, there is hardly any guitar. For fans of solos (guitar or keyboard), there are no solos. This could be a problem for those who need some serious indulgence in their music. Dream Theater fans may find themselves itching for a song to "break out", but it doesn't happen.

The playing itself is excellent, as would be expected. Drummer Mark Zonder and Kevin Moore have both proved themselves time and again as world class players, yet on this recording, the emphasis is on subtlety and mood. Within this framework, the playing couldn't be better, even though many fans of previous works may be distracted simply by the knowledge of the explosive potential lying just beneath the surface.

The recording is short by current standards. It clocks in at 44:09 minutes, and 2 of the songs, although interesting, are more or less filler, consisting of dialog and sound bites, with background music (camera 4 and hell mary).

Keeping in mind the style of this recording, here's a description and rating of the songs:

colorblind - This song has a techno feel to it, due to the pulsing synth. The song starts with very effected vocals, and then moves into a cleaner sound, reminiscent of Peter Gabriel. Nice piano work abounds. (9/10)

even the waves - Many may be familiar with the demo version of this song. Here it is in a pristine state. Some strong rhythm guitar chords during the singing, subtle and simple guitar at the end of the song. One can almost feel a small boat rising and falling with the waves on this track. (9/10)

undertow - A very catchy tune! After the first few listens, it stands out the most. Starts off with a more upbeat drum part. The fast, catchy piano line and the chorus will stick in the brain after just a couple of listens. Song structure as a whole is more diverse and the vocal melody is less monotone than other songs. Would like to have heard the final "Goodbye"! (10/10)

america the video - A very techno-style, synth-heavy song. A little more upbeat than the rest of the recording. (6/10)

s.o.s - A demo-version of this song (Sun, Orange Small) has circulated a lot, so many are familiar with this one. It's good to have a clean version. The guitar gets to come up-front in places on this track. (8/10)

camera 4 - Not really a song, but dialog with techno-music behind it. Interesting, but after few listens, it gets a little old. May work better as background music. (5/10)

on the page - Excellent piano work! Anyone who is looking for something similar to previous work such as Space-Dye Vest will find it here (although without the emotional lyrics). Chorus vocals may take some getting used to, but the music is top notch. (10/10)

mouse - A very melancholy, mood setting song. The songs starts with a dialog and there are lots of sound bites in the background. Part of "on the page" is reprised at the end of the song. (7/10)

hell mary - Not a song really, but an interesting work. Seems to be a computer generated voice, describing some type of solar/astrological event. Sound effects for a background. Kind of a story/mood piece. Those with imagination can almost see the event as described. (7/10)

As an overall rating, Dead Air for Radios gets a big thumbs up! Dream Theater fans need to be aware that this is not a "progressive-metal" recording. This review was written after a couple of days listening and as hard-core music fans will understand, this recording has not yet been tested for durability. It does seem to have an initial growth pattern, and can be appreciated more after several listens.

Dead Air for Radios is available through the Chroma Key website: http://www.chromakey.com

~Brian Hansen