Moon Construction Kit – Snake Charmer

The dream pop scene has been thriving in the past couple of years, with many excellent artists and bands releasing great music on an almost daily basis. However, if you paid close attention to what’s happening, then you probably know how many of them deliver repetitive, bland, predictable songs, often mimicking something renowned acts released and performed decades ago. Although they sound wonderful by all means, there’s always an impression that you’ve heard those works somewhere before. Thankfully, there are artists like Moon Construction Kit whose music consistently shines with fresh, unique, and innovative ideas, as well as fascinating sonic and rhythmic maneuvers. With “Snake Charmer,“ he breaks all the rules and shapeshifts the boundaries of what dream pop music could and should be, always finding some new, exciting ways to impress listeners even more. And the best part about this composition is the fact that Olivier Cornu, a Lausanne-based writer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer behind this excellent music outlet, found a clever way to infuse more music genres along the way. Although this composition blends various techniques, approaches, and styles, the dream pop remains a primary sonic direction thanks to the implementation of all the fundamental elements of the genre, while the additional sonic ingredients, such as psych pop, power pop, art pop, and indie, remain enhancements and decorations that uplift everything on an entirely new level. Olivier Cornu does it with great attention to detail, often thinking outside of the box and succeeding in those moments where even the renowned acts with decades of experience would fail.

Dream pop has always been a good platform for expressing deepest emotions and moods, or talking about particular situations in life. That’s the case with “Snake Charmer,“ a song that explores a moment where you realise the cure you’re following, whether it’s a person or a pill, is actually the problem. Olivier Cornu expertly navigates various sentiments in order to convey the message, and as this song reaches the end, it feels like a machine that’s finally started to spiral out of control. These are the moments where the creative mind of a genius artist and his in-depth lyricism collide harmoniously, delivering a highly relatable composition that will immediately resonate with the audience. Sonically, “Snake Charmer” fascinates with each vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuver, immediately pulling the listener into a whirlwind, or should I say, an epic sonic universe where every note and beat wraps around your ears and refuses to let go long after this composition ends. Olivier Cornu’s calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal voice creates a guidance through this mesmerizing sonic world while simultaneously balancing all those low, mid, and high notes with such precision and finesse. He knows how to add more emotional depth and complexity to an already intricate structure without losing the essence of the songs, and you’ll immediately be enchanted by his voice. The interplay between the glassy piano and the Mellotron creates that nearly psychedelic, hypnotic, addictive atmosphere where you’ll feel like floating over the clouds. Every theme, melody, harmony, lead, and chord progression perfectly depicts everything Moon Construction Kit intended to achieve with this track. The addition of the acoustic guitar that lurks beneath these piano and synth orchestrations is such a nice addition that gives more depth and detail, without overwhelming anything. The same goes for the bass guitar, which, in this case, contributes more groove and clarity by delivering all those deep, dense, heavy, low-end notes with such precision. Each instrument has been implemented wisely, to the point where all the layers articulate together without spoiling each other. Of course, this track wouldn’t sound complete without the exceptional drumming performance. You’ll hear how each hit of the snare, kick of the bass drum, accentuation over the hi-hat, and splash over the cymbals cuts through the ethereal atmosphere and contributes even more groove and detail. These rhythmic patterns keep the remainder of the instrumentations in line while dictating groove and pace, giving more than necessary dynamics to this song.

Moon Construction Kit is a one-of-a-kind music project that never ceases to amaze with its creativity, talent, ideas, and musicianship. “Snake Charmer” is more than a rock-solid proof that dream pop, when done right, can still sound fresh, unique, innovative, and exciting, just like the first time you’ve heard it. It’s a deeply emotional sonic exploration that reveals the deepest sentiments, profoundly poetic lyricism, and musical genius of Olivier Cornu, a wise songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who knows how to tackle all the senses with his music. Therefore, head to your favorite streaming platform and check this dream pop gem.