i first heard "los angeles" from this album while scrolling around on last.fm and got hooked on it! i really like the active, fun charm of the synth, but the music video for it is equally delightful! finding it late at night really added to my enjoyment of it.

the balance of calm and energy through my favroite songs is what i find addictive about it. it's just soothing enough with its simple, nostalgic beat but has an optimism baked into it that brings me a burst of joy! there are a few songs in this album that i find less interesting and tend to skip, but i don't think they're dragging it down. just not what i personally want! i'm curious about the soundfont (sorry if that's not the right word) and samples used in this album, as they sound so specific but also like the platonic ideal of what should be in a song that's emulating this era of digital music... it's ringing bells, but i can't put my finger on it!

overall, i think that it's great and i recommend putting it on when you need a pick-me-up, but might need to focus, as well.

this album is a long-time favorite of mine, i found it around the time it released and it instantly became a regular for me. it was my first introduction to the genre of dungeon synth, which has become a dearly favorite genre of mine since then. i'm a little embarrassed how long it took me until i realized that lookfar was simply another name that louie zong published music under... hee hee. i've listened to it so much that it feels like second nature to put it on, honestly.

"beyond the edge of the world" is an album which served the same purpose as a gently crackling fireplace beside me as i have envisioned the long-forgotten halls of a dungeon or poked my head into the crumbling architecture of a now nameless cathedral. and also just been nice to hear when i showered under the low-ceiling and quickly draining hot water of my college apartment's bathroom LOL.

but really, this album is very special to me and it's been wonderful to return to recently as i seek creating writing darker themes/settings in to my fantasy worlds. honestly, i should burn it onto a CD so i can listen to it in the car whenever and not have to bother with my phone/music player!