Sometimes, I completely forget to write a review for an album that I really loved. Such is the case with Rashida Prime’s latest offering. The album released earlier this year on January 30th, and I heard it and liked it, but forgot to write down my thoughts. The album is called “Plastic Void”, and I’m glad I remembered to share this with you.
Rashida Prime comes to us from Estonia. Being an electronic artist, the name and face of the project are quite shadowy, hidden behind layers of fog and color. Therefore, I don’t know who this artist actually is, and I assume that is how they want it.
What I can tell you, however, is how wonderful this music is. This is ambient electronic music, quite progressive in form and cyberwave in tone. I say “progressive” because Rashida Prime leans heavily on long form songs that grow, evolve, and climax in fantastic ways. This is definitely the type of music that Tangerine Dream fans would appreciate.
It’s more than just the song structures or tone, though. This album is a marvel of flowing, spiraling crystalline light. The synth tones and electronic loops used have an icy freshness to them, as if you should be able to see your own breath as it drifts up to the sky. Many songs have a whirling quality to them, almost always with burgeoning layers of melody. This is, simply put, a beautiful, breathtaking album with a sound that seems to relieve all stress and anxiety within me.
“Plastic Void” has eight tracks and runs almost one hour in length. Each of its eight tracks have a haunting cyber tone, almost like you should be able to close your eyes and see everything the artist sees. Songs like “Blessed by Metal” and “Body That Orbits a Star” are longer at over 10 minutes. Each of these songs progresses and slowly builds into something truly magnificent, reminding me of the build on Zimmer’s “No Time for Caution” on the Interstellar soundtrack; not that they sound exactly the same, but the build in tension, urgency, and otherworldly beauty still reminds me of that amazing scene. “Blessed by Metal” has a whirling, monolithic sound that peaks satisfyingly. “Body That Orbits a Star” is more of a slow-burning ambience with subtle, drifting notes and a crescendo that explodes with supernova light.
My favorite tracks are “Worthless Redemption” and “Beyond Preemption”. The former is one of my favorite songs of the year. It constructs a dense, glassy atmosphere that is so rich and so wondrous that it sweeps me away to another world. The speed and precision in its electronic looping are so addictive. “Beyond Preemption” has the most luxurious cyber sound on the album. With the far-ranging central loop dashing back and forward around a purple aura, it explodes with such intensity and mass that you might stop breathing. The air literally feels heavy with frost, and the cinematic ending leaves me feeling introspective.
Rashida Prime has a stunning album for us. “Plastic Void” offers a vivid, gleaming tone that revolves and drifts with enchantment and concentration. I am truly hypnotized by this unforgettable, ethereal vision. Check out their 2016 album “Damaged Interface”, as well, since it is just as good.
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The PROG Mind 
best album ever
rashida prime is amazing
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