This Empty Flow – The Album

When This Empty Flow’s debut “Magenta Skycode” came out in 1996, I found it very enjoyable. Ten years later, now the album is reissued by Eibon in a remastered version with a bonus cd as ‘The album”, I still find it appealing. The Finnish band, active from 1994 till 1997 with Niko Scorpio as one of the members, plays a type of guitar wave which may sound nostalgic, but not old-fashioned.

Most of the songs on the album are characterized by accessible compositions with spacious guitars, moody synths, sensitive vocals and a relaxed pace. The melancholic style of songs like ‘Useless’ or ‘Nowafter’ reminds me of early Cure, The Essence, Felt or more contemporary acts like In my Rosary. A few tracks are bit deviating, like ‘Towards distant’, which features piano, sampled voices and electronic effects. The first half of the album is quite tranquil, but there are a few heavier songs towards the end, like in ‘Snow blind’, when the guitars and dums suddenly rock out loud.

As I said before, “Magenta Skycode” is still an enjoyable album. Especially the first few songs are excellent. The sound also benefits from the modernized, fuller production. If this wasn’t enough, you’re treated to a bonus cd with eleven rare tracks recorded in 1994/1996, including a few alternate versions of tracks from “Magenta Skycode”. Perhaps the unreleased material sounds a bit more anonymous than the material of their debut, but it has some nice moments too which will appeal to lovers of dreamy wave music.

artist: This Empty Flow
label: Eibon Records
details: 2cd, 19 tracks, 2006 [Tef058 I & II]