This is a complicated record. The first few times that I listened to Elements of Life's Molecular Dreams I drifted off into a peaceful sleep, lulled by the repetitive rhythms. But don't be fooled, there is much more to this electronica offering of the Brooklyn based duo of Lee Rodriguez (a.k.a. Onestar) and Steven Craden than a great chill-out session. The first track "Moments of Creation" repeats the vocalized question "Are you listening?" and after awhile I began to realize that there was more going on in their music than at first seemed apparent. Yes, the tracks do have a way of repeating themes/motifs, but this musical duo interjects bits and pieces of found sounds, keyboards, and horns to spice things up.
It is in the second-half of the record that the music truly begins to open up doors within one's cognitive system. "Are you with Me Love?" features a call-and-response pattern between a deep male voice asking the title question and an ethereal female voice replying "here." It then moves into the next track "So as I Live....So am I Deep" in which electronic rhythms and sensual horns provide the soundtrack for a male voice repeating "deep" and a female voice replying to his statement. The track successfully ignited this reviewer's sense of eros and I would imagine that it would be very popular on the dance floor or as a backdrop for lovers.
The last four tracks, including the haunting "Playtime," take the listener on a musical journey that is unleashed in the language of "Elemental Dreams" the final track which seemed to regress this listener to a primeval consciousness. This duo's music launched me both into deep reflection and thoughts for someone whom I care about deeply.
