After the compelling debut EP “Electric Birds“, classically trained Nathan Plante presents the mini album “Electric Forest”. I would file the six-tracker under ‘ambient’, though the author approaches the theme from varied angles. The opener “Wanderlust” literally takes us to a walk off the beaten track. Soundscapes of the US-born Berliner fuel the imagination and create an urge to geolocate the field-recorded places. In “Waldträume” we enter an enchanted forest. Escorted by chirping birds and a deformed narration, which immediately recalls the Grimm Brothers. Well, according to liner notes, a Engelbert Humperdinck recording about Hansel und Gretel is used here. Also facing a giant wave of symphonic strings and horns belongs to the program.
Starting at a quiet pace, multiple modular layers are going back to early UK ambient, to discover the secret ends of “Undergrowth”. For a while, “Fairy Circle” is nothing more than shrill signals, before it turns into experimental dissonance. Because of feeble vocals, “Dusk” connects to “Waldträume”, when newly finding the route to tranquillity, with a few chords sounding like “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. Even when feeling a bit disoriented on the terrain, “The Path Home” marks a happy return to the starting point, with moody pads and steps over fallen leaves and branches.
Conceived with care and craftmanship, “Electric Forest” is ideal way for detaching oneself from everyday fuss.