Swiss group
L'Eclair
's music is an uncategorizable mixture of pretty much any sound that has a groove, from Krautrock and electro-disco to house and Madchester. After releasing an analog synth-heavy one-off collaboration with
Klaus Johann Grobe
in 2024,
issued their most guest-heavy effort to date,
Cloud Drifter
. As ever, no one influence reigns supreme on this album, but it leans a little heavier on synth-funk than the group's past records. The brief "Run" is a sort of early-'80s mutant disco flashback, with slap bass and percolating synths backing
Gelli Haha
's nonchalant vocals. "Vertigo" is a dazzling space disco odyssey impressively sequenced in 3/4 time. "Replica M001" additionally takes an unconventional approach to rhythm, opening with skipping polyrhythms and lush strings before making way for
Pink Siifu
's unconstrained rapping. The string arrangements make downtempo tracks like "Cloud Drifter" and "The Glitch" extra sweet, soothing, and spacy. "Ocean Mind" is both cinematic and wildly trippy, with expansive reverb drawing out the mysterious choral voices, gentle bass hand percussion, and harps. "Odessos" is more danceable, but in a way the group hasn't attempted before, blending dubby rhythms with trancey arpeggios, racing disco beats, and ethereal vocals. The last few tracks ease back into downtempo chill-out territory, with "Nova Umbra" sounding like
Com Truise
, but more influenced by '70s TV soundtracks, and "Nostalgia" being more of a smooth orchestral soul tune. The album's title ends up being appropriate, since much of the record seems more fitting for a day spent gazing at the sky than a night at a futuristic club. Still, it's undeniably a step in a few new directions from a group that hasn't repeated itself yet. ~ Paul Simpson