Paulo J. Mendes is a composer and songwriter offering an extremely unique and sublime listening experience with his latest Elementia project. The soundscapes that unfold throughout the collection surround you with intense detail, yet it’s the short that has been so well crafted and combined that the whole thing strikes with great power as a single and mesmerising audio adventure.
There are elements of familiarity about the sound, most commonly images of epic or classic or medieval film soundtracks come to mind, but it’s the structure, the power, and the angelic female vocal lightly doused in reverb that creates this comparison.
Everything else, the changing soundscapes, the swift and unpredictable progression from one moment to the next, from one instrument to the next, from one emotion to the next – the calm to the suddenly intense, the quiet to the loud – it all makes for something completely new sounding.
The music provides a series of stories and feelings that are likely to mean something different to everyone who hears it, prior to learning any musical backstory.
The music calms you at first, then provides you with a rush of adrenaline, makes you mind wander and then demands its return. There are major chords followed by minor chords and moments of sadness follower by intense joy and resolve. The intricacy of the musical design is hypnotic and overwhelming, the collection is beautiful – the creativity is immense, and the production is flawless in that every moment refuses to simply pass by – each is gripping, captivating, often thought provoking.
The changing energy of the music is stunning, and later, as lyrics are introduced, the whole thing becomes an even bigger world of sound and storytelling. Well worth a listen; for the creative drive, the collection of performances, the emotion, and the overall power.
By Rebecca Cullen
Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing
