Moya81 – ESP (Mini-Album – ScentAir Records)
Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, Italo-disco, techno-pop.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Moya81 was introduced as the ‘history of an artist and music fan who grow up in a working class district in Santiago of Chile in the early ’80s. This production is not only musical but it goes deeply in philosophical, meta-political and mystical topics’. “ESP” is the official debut production featuring six songs and released by ScentAir Records.
Content: This is a rather unique release for the Russian ScentAir stable. Moya81 is for sure inspired by electro-pop music and Kraftwerk clearly appears to be a potential source of inspiration, but the influences are much more diversified. Some passages remind me to the legendary 90s Frankfurt scene while other elements have something new-beat and even Italo-disco like. You sometimes get the feeling of hearing Kraftwerk on an electroclash journey with some technoid elements on top. The vocals have been produced with robotic effects.
+ + + : I dare to say this work is probably the best release I’ve ever heard on ScentAir Records. It clearly sounds retro-minded, but it also has something refreshing and original. The songs are well-crafted revealing brilliant sound treatments. It sounds pretty space-like and always melodic. Nearly all the songs make sense, but the final “Atlantis” is for sure a true climax.
– – – : I just noticed one single cut (cf. “Space Technology”) that couldn’t convince me.
Conclusion: Moya81 is a project you have to discover and especially if you’re in search of a new, potential electro-pop sensation with an original approach.
Best songs: “Atlantis”, “Unknown”, “Numanoid”, “Plus”.
Rate: (8½).
Artist: www.facebook.com/moya81
Label: www.scent–air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords
About Moya81
Moya81 is a Chile-born electronic artist based in Helsinki, Finland, who has cited Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Jean-Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream among his influences, alongside EBM act Clock DVA and Italo-disco artists Dharma and Klapto. “ESP,” his debut mini-album reviewed here, was released via ScentAir Records.
In a Side-Line ‘Click Interview’ with MOYA81 published shortly after this review, Moya81 described “ESP” as “the synthesis of my life.”
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
