These songs were inspired by the books and lectures of Neville Goodard, "The Mustard Seed: The Gnostic teachings of Jesus the Mystic" by Osho, the classic book "One Thousand and One Nights, "Jnana Yoga" by Swami Vivekananda, and the JRPG Soul Hackers 2!

Review by BeachSloth:

"ATLS PLAZA N.D. - C H E S S

ATLS PLAZA N.D. creates a completely engrossing sonic rabbit hole on the all-consuming trip of “C H E S S”. Besides the music, which itself is stellar, there’s so much more going on below the surface. When you’re referencing things as esoteric as Neville Goodard, Osho, Swami Vivekananada, alongside more modern things like the JRPG Soul Hackers 2 (among others), you know that there is a lot of research involved. Though the understanding of these things is not necessary to enjoy the music, which definitely works on its own merits, it certainly does help. On a broad view of the sonic landscape know that there is a mystical element that is the undercurrent for the entire experience.
The whole journey feels akin to the long-lost soundtrack of a classic anime. For whatever reason, it does remind me strongly of Samurai Champloo. Part of that might be the slightly dusty tinge that ATLS brings to the samples. I also like how they avoid outright referencing any specific time period for they do certainly have an agelessness to them. Something about them certainly gives off that eternal feeling. Beyond that the sheer duration of these songs works in their favor. Expanding things into the infinite there is a distinct Ennio Morricone spaghetti western vibe to be felt. For much like that composer’s work, these pieces are evocative of those wide-open spaces people dream of but few actually live in.
Whilst still strongly in the vaporwave camp, ATLS appears to spread their wings a little bit on this release. Elements of hyper-pop, post-rock, modern classical, and, most importantly, classical outside of the typical western constraints, certainly weave their way into the mix. ATLS continues to be well-listened and the pieces reflect that. Rhythm has an essential role to play and the beats hit with a sense of cyclical renewal, as with each re-looping they gain a poignancy. Much of the work puts the listener in a trance-like state one that casts a comforting spell. Evolution occurs within these truly expansive, seemingly endless works. They do this ever so subtly, as they make sure that the shifts are barely perceptible. All of this involves a lot of attention to detail, and the slow progress does bring to mind a bit of Eliane Radigue’s patient pieces from the 70s.
Volume is a given for these deserve to be felt. Inclusion of so many different layers results in these moments of pure clarity. They mess with fidelity, making the listener uncertain as to where things will go next, yet never in any sudden way. How this album appears right in the midst of a minor vaporwave revival feels apt. Recently Death’s Dynamic Shroud.wmv “Darklife” showed a bit of where the genre is headed, exploring new lands.
Post-rock serves me well as one of the finest examples of what patience can provide within a sound. A lot of ATLS’s work brings to mind some of the more ambient-oriented of those groups. Nods from Explosions in the Sky certainly plays a role. Unlike them there are no specific crescendos. In a way the dilation of time found within their approach makes it seem like time does not matter. Indeed, there is a distinct post-industrial aesthetic that they explore with the utmost of care. Everything here has a gritty quality to it, as if each of these samples came straight from the cassette. In that respect, there is that tactile quality that the work possesses, an emotional resonance that brings to mind post-rock at its most meditative.
Their YouTube game proves to be on point as well. Fragments of a life lived appear in fleeting glimpses. Rather than have any great epiphanies to be seen these are the moments waiting. You can see the fingers tap, the emptiness of an urban landscape, and the rain, among so many others. ATLS lets these visuals inform their work. Nothing here has a sudden realization rather there is a realism to the whole process that is doubly refreshing. Showing off, that is not a thing in this realm. The small moments of a life, those often left unexplored, are ATLS’s main concern. By opting for this approach they strip things down to their pure essence. With this they continue that sense of mysticism, of finding the beauty in the mundane.
Beauty is a strange thing on here. None of the samples and arrangements could be said to be beautiful in a traditional sense. For their sincere honesty there is a loveliness in the ugliness. Much of the sound is like that from a liminal space. Lots of it appears to not change much, yet it is the small minor things that feel truly inspiring. Some of the flourishes that do emerge over the course of the album are like seeing things right in one’s periphery. At first there is the sense of was that even real, did I actually witness that? You’ll relisten to this a lot more than you’d expect, thanks in part to a lot of electronic psychedelics that the songs are clearly on. Woozy and weird, it is a lot of fun to simply lose oneself in the great sprawl of the soundtrack.
Setting the template for what follows is “A E S T H E T I C”. If there was a single to be found on the album, it would be this courageous jammer. From the highs and lows of the sound, there is a party-like atmosphere into it. One can almost feel the dry ice clouds wafting from the stage on this one. The synthesizer chords on here definitely enjoy getting lost in the murk, with sudden sharp bursts recalling a shoegaze-like quality. Hovering chords and the overall ambience of the work definitely draws from the optimism of Slowdive’s steady, hopeful output.
Decidedly on the lo-fi side of things “O N E T H O U S A ND A N D O N E N I G H T S” has a Muslimgauze aspect. Unlike Muslimgauze, there is no discernible political stance like his shouting-from-the-roofs aesthetic. The song feels as if it will dissolve at any point. Part of the treatment of the work adds to its ancientness. Over the course of the piece the song gives off a damaged VHS quality. Right within the right amount of clarity it threatens to completely dissolve like William Basinski trying to pen a videogame soundtrack, for the loops continually disintegrate. Beyond this the clear fondness for a Middle Eastern twang to the melody adds to the allure.
“Ｋ​ａ​ｌ​ｉ​क​ा​ल​ी” makes good usage of the Hindi language. The Hindi portion of the title means “Goddess Kali”. A Hindu Goddess, she is considered the goddess of ultimate power. Here too there is a reference to geography, as the influence moves from Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley. Melodies reflect this shift for there is this sense of constantly travelling further and further East. With this song there is a reference to a greater pilgrimage, for the music is merely a background to this greater enlightenment, an understanding of the world. Much like the Hindu Goddess, an aggressiveness defines much of the work. Hyper-pop influences are quite heavy on this track, and during certain moments it has a spirit reminiscent of Sophie doing an extended club mix.
White noise elements collide with beats for “J N A N A” proves to be completely disorienting. Mind-melting to its very core the song becomes the sort of thing that James Ferraro wishes he could still do. Here the exploration of spirituality continues for the term is a Sanskrit one, the knowledge that the self is inseparable from the Divine. Due to the extreme heaviness of the onslaught the song radiates a doom metal dirge, complete with the beats trying to maintain the ritual as best as they possible can, though the sheer number of filters used on here is mind-boggling.
“S o u l H a c k e r s 2” references hip-hop quite directly. The sparse quality of the beat work brings to mind early Autechre. Usage of minor key melodies fluttering on through the entirety of the track only adds to that perception. Various little vocal snippets give it a communal quality, for they seemingly skip through the din with gleeful abandon. Here a bit of calm, a peacefulness washes over everything for the chilled-out quality has a great realness to it. After the past few deeper, harder tracks this serves perfectly as a nice respite for that darkness. They bring the light in on this one to shine in on everything.
The videogame focus continues on “虹​香​瑠 Ｐ​ａ​ｒ​ｔ ５０”. Quite bubbly the chords bounce on through. Here they play with the forward and backward motions of the track itself. During certain parts it remains unclear as to where the piece is going to head off to next. A tenderness to the tones further adds to it city-like quality. Effects are utilized in a clever way, further emphasizing the keen spirit of nostalgia that the song inadvertently radiates. Pattern upon pattern gets filtered in for the song becomes truly impossible to figure out.
On “N E V I L L E G O D D A R D” the song becomes quite delirious. Inclusion of horn samples gives it a jazzy kick. With this one they explore the concept of New Thought. Rather than stem from any specific time or place, New Thought is more a mixture of wisdom and philosophies. Here they do touch upon the core of the internet itself. Had Neville Goddard been alive to see it, he probably would have seen the degree of wisdom, diffused across the entirety of humanity, was able to essentially fact-check itself. All those good and bad feelings are able to be prioritized within the internet. One can pick one’s own path through these neural networks in a way no human has been able to do before. Whereas we take as a commonplace thing, there are a number of philosophical underpinnings to the internet itself that so often get overlooked. ATLS definitely brings this into perspective on this slab of a track, clocking in at over twenty minutes long. Rhythms constantly switch up, and the piece itself has a symphonic quality behind it, providing it a semblance of structure.
For me the true highlight comes from “T H E M U S T A R D S E E D”. I love the blurred rave-up scope of the work. Reminiscent of the temporary autonomous zones that Hakim Bey wrote about, there is a fleeting glimpse of true bliss within the epic soundtrack. It definitely features a number of cinematic elements here, from the soaring chords to the way that the rhythm has a motorik quality to it. Quite driving it never lets up. Somehow ATLS manages to conjure up a truly revolutionary spirit on here, one that does keep with Osho’s musings in “The Mustard Seed: The Gnostic teachings of Jesus the Mystic”. Rather than choose to show things as gentle, this track goes hard with a groove that would put the Field to shame. Melody, rhythm, textures, the whole piece has an evocative presence to it one that is easy to surrender to.
Unsure why it reminds me of this, but the finale of “अ​ह​ि​र​्​ब​ु​ध​्​न​्​य​Ａ​ｈ​ｉ​ｒ​ｂ​ｕ​ｄ​ｈ​ｎ​ｙ​ａ” is like what would happen if the original LFO duo ever performed at Burning Man. The song references that sort of sweaty warehouse dancefloor cadence that LFO essentially copyrighted. Sweeping strings throughout further adds to the inherent moodiness of the work. A sense of the dramatic definitely rears its ugly head. Percussive elements get fairly creative as well for they constantly shift in and out of focus, uncertain exactly of where they will land. Even with the patterns set down by ATLS the work has a sense of pure, absolute freedom the sort of freedom that people dream of.
The album artwork of “C H E S S” proves to depict the music concisely. Patterns are an essential element of each piece, yet the way they are modified makes them unpredictable. With artwork and a sound that recalls Manuel Göttsching’s incredibly underrated album “E2-E4” the playfulness found within is an anchor. ATLS proves to be a highly playful artist, letting elements zig and zag throughout the entirety of the experience. Much of it refuses to ever play it straight, choosing instead to set sights on much larger expanses. Given the interest in mysticism and technology, the album in particular seems to capture the desire of so many right now. For all the sadness in the world there is a hope for something that is more permanent, less fleeting, timelier. Considering how short news cycles, soundbites, and other elements of culture are becoming, perhaps it is a bit revolutionary to engage in extended cuts. Whereas mysticism and technology are often considered to be completely different avenues of thought, they ought to be together. Technology and communication in general allow for the sharing of information on a truly global scale, meaning one may believe in a little bit of everything in order to tailor one’s belief system in exactly the way they see fit. Just because mass customization applies as a capitalist/commercial term does not mean that the term could not later be used to create hybrids of spirituality, with people finally following the ideas they want in the way they want to. To that end, ATLS does posit quite a number of questions and ideas within their album all without needing to say a single word.
ATLS PLAZA N.D. proves to be the Ennio Morricone of vaporwave on the spiritual experience that is “C H E S S”.