(By Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker, Lead Journalist/Writer, RiffRelevant.com)
Multifaceted artist/producer Celldweller will release “Offworld,” his fourth vocal-based studio album on July 28th, via his independently owned/operated label FiXT.
With “Offworld“, Klayton (aka Celldweller) forewent the usual approach of his signature sound consisting of aggressive guitars, blasting beats and undiluted intensity. Instead, Klayton opted to construct tracks possessed with sentimental odes to emotion and empathy. Pursuing such added deep, enriched textures to the industrialized, synth-infused electronica he excels at creating.
“Offworld” is 11 tracks that range from the soul-searching “How Little I Must Know,” to the hypnotic shoegazer “Echoes,” the powerful a cappella “Mother’s Arms,” to the acoustic guitar driven “The Great Divide“. The heavy, yet atmospheric vibe of poignant “The Last Night On Earth” really stands out too, while the album begins and ends with the title track and reprise of “Offworld“.
This gives the album a narrative backdrop as a sci-fi adventure of leaving the world behind – perhaps to explore a new one or join life on the other side of the cosmos, closing the album’s underlying experiences with a familiar Celldweller lyric… “we will never die.” The digital/CD version of the album include a bonus remix by Ulrich Schnauss (Tangerine Dream).
Klayton offered the following commentary about the album itself and certain songs in particular saying:
“Winter. At its heart, winter is the season I find myself gravitating towards listening to more emotive and melancholy music. One winter’s night I found myself in my studio, lights dimmed low, playing with a guitar and a new piece of software. I started plucking out the notes that would eventually become “How Little I Must Know.” Lyrics and vocals came together quickly and I soon had a short song finished, but wasn’t quite sure where it fit. Thus begun the development of the idea to make a whole album that had a specific feel, and for me captured the essence of the music I loved to listen to during earth’s perihelion.”
Continuing, he adds:
“I really loved “Into the Woods” by The Call. I thought Michael Been was a brilliant songwriter and lyricist but their sound was generally a little more traditional than I liked. I wanted to take this lyrically powerful song and produce it in my style which fit perfectly within the vibe I wanted on this album.”
Stream the newly shared Lyric Video for the song “Too Many Tears” below, along with the previously shared “The Great Divide“.
Pre-orders for Celldweller‘s “Offworld” are available now at this location.
