Limited Edition ‘Coral Mist’ coloured Vinyl LP.

Luke Requena’s debut solo album. As the Lacanian title suggests, it is a collection of meditations and self-reflection translated into sonic explorations of the space that connects the macrocosm and the microcosm. Inspired largely by Tarkovsky’s film Solaris, the making of Mirror Stage was a musical journey of internal struggle across subconscious landscapes.

Requena is a composer and multi-instrumentalist based in Vancouver, BC. Although his main source of sound is analog synthesizers, he also integrates santur, guitar and organs into his pieces. Drawing influences from artists such as Günter Schickert, early Pink Floyd, and classical Persian music, “Mirror Stage” emits waves of sonic and lush textures while exploring the dark cosmos. It’s a genuinely enthralling work.

“Santur’s little helper, anyone? Sorry. But Vancouver-based Luke Requena employs this ancient Mesopotamian stringed instrument to great effect, lending an exotically organic feel to his debut solo album. It’s a cosmopolitan affair: ‘Venus Maternal’ is awash with sun-baked Middle-Eastern textures, and the twanging strings of ‘Comet Mist’ –  rising through ominous slabs of analogue synth –  evoke Ry Cooder’s soundtrack to Paris, Texas. Elsewhere, there are nods to Meddle-era Pink Floyd, and Vangelis-esque closer ‘Sleepwalking Seagull’ provides an epic conclusion to an impressively ambitious collection.” – Bob Fischer.