Global Goon – Horizon 8.2

                Global Goon patents his peculiar brand of nostalgia IDM. The sounds used hark back to the earliest aspects of electronica before the humanity was scrubbed clean out. Digital is not what Global Goon does. Human is what Global Goon does. Each song is imbued with a sense of childlike wonder at the world. These are some of the most relaxing meditative pieces of work. Compared to the rest of electronica Global Goon is not interested in grooves or beats. Instead with ‘Horizon’ Global Goon wants to show an entire environment. Part of this feels like a strange combination between electronic and bossa nova. It is mellow while still displaying a great sense of complexity. 

                ‘Rho Goon’ begins things off with a relatively moody beginning. Things become much more minimal following the perfected wistfulness of ‘Tin Riots’. Goofy sounds that filter in contribute to this feeling. Others show a hesitancy to fully embrace happiness like ‘Brogan Hill Zoo’ which is lovely in its sadness. By far the best track on the entire album is ‘Welkin’s Runt’. Over the course of the track it goes from sheer calm to absolute heart-breaking epic size. How Global Goon manages to let it appear so natural is quite remarkable. 

‘Horizon’ exists on an entirely different planet from almost every other form of electronic music out there. Few have taken this lonely path. Unlike various chillwave bands he makes no references to any specific decade. Hipness does not matter to Global Goon. Quality, melodic progression, and emotion matter more than any specific ‘cool’ factor. Age cannot define this music. What Global Goon makes is timeless. It could come from the 70s, 80s, or 90s. Thankfully it exists now.