Restless Mosaic – Quality Mirrors

Quality Mirrors, by Restless Mosaic, is an attracting journey through electronic soundscapes that combines ambient, trip-hop, new age, and experimental electronica. Brandon Isleib, the project’s mastermind, creates a sound mosaic that only fully reveals itself when experienced as a single entity. The album begins with “Song One Is a Lie,” creating an ethereal and attractive tone with whisper-like vocals and ambient sounds. Around the midpoint, a distant beat appears, enhancing the track’s dreamlike and deep character. “Circling the Canopies” follows, featuring futuristic synths recalling of Depeche Mode, but with a darker tone. As the angelic vocals begin, the track takes on an ambient tone similar to Enigma, balancing shadow and light. “Melt Spun” features sophisticated, almost sound design elements that develops into a danceable groove. The introduction of acoustic guitar halfway through adds an unexpected psychological comfort before the beat comes back, keeping the tune in its original rhythm. Meanwhile, “Virginia’s Peach Party Loaf, with Two Walnuts” has a dreamy, easy-listening vibe, reinforced by calming beats and distinctive percussive sounds that provide an earthy, ethnic touch. “Lost Within This Time,” featuring Anji Bee, is a beautiful mix of electronica and ethereal vocals. The music switches between dance sections and ambient calmness, leading to an easy interaction of movement and atmosphere. “My Spare Keys” takes a more neoclassical approach, beginning with a lovely piano melody combined with experimental soundscapes that provide meditative dimension to the composition. The title track, “Quality Mirrors,” starts with cinematic elements and then changes to a modern electronic atmosphere with trip-hop beats. The presence of atmospheric female vocals enhances the track’s personal and atmospheric nature. This combination of electronica and organic elements continues in “Poet of the Mic,” which combines hip-hop vocals with atmospheric electronic beats. “7000 Sparks,” a short piece driven by modern dance rhythms along with lush electronic soundscapes, is strongly “loaded” with concepts of self-exploration and change. “Nearest Pool of Chaos” provides a longer, deeper experience, beginning with neoclassical synth arrangements before switching to strong acid electronic sounds. Despite its powerful form, the song has an ethereal character, showing Isleib’s particular attention to layers and musical cohesion. The album’s closing track, “The Emotion Right in Front of Me,” returns to atmospheric electronica, combining new age inspirations with an analytical tone that goes back to the album’s fundamental concepts of perception and reflection. Quality Mirrors is a complex and organic mosaic of sound, with each track contributing considerably to the album’s overall experience. Isleib combines ambient beauty, experimental forms, and melodic drive, resulting in an album that invites deep listening and rewards those who explore its depths.