Album of the Week: Tornado Wallace – Lonely Planet

Travelling through the disparate corners of various musical dimensions comes Tornado Wallace’s debut LP, “Lonely Planet”. Flying under the Balearic banner, Australian producer and DJ, Tornado Wallace is the latest edition to Running Back catalogue, that sees the label swimming in colour and evocative soundscapes yet again. Tornado Wallace combines textures redolent of 50’s sci-fi films with those atmospheres reminiscent of world music to create remarkable harmonic- and melodic contrapuntal movements of great intrigue and suspense throughout the 40 minutes of the album. Nothing is taboo, and native American flutes and wiry guitars also have a place amongst the electronic textures that make up most of the album.

Sincere panpipes, synthesised from some machine in the eighties, abound with chorus, delay and reverb, finds itself amongst calls of wild birds and polyrhythmic percussion with the odd modern keyboard voice, bringing the whole ensemble into the present. Laid back tempos and easily digestible sonic palettes indulges pure escapism and respite from any corporeal engagement. There is no lofty purpose to this music, other than to enjoy, and your enjoyment can flit between nostalgia and relaxation, as you travel through the kaleidoscopic vision of Tornado Wallace on his debut album.