Mariusz Duda has left Riverside. That news was like a punch in the gut, but I can’t say I did not see it coming. There was just something in the air, I suppose. With Riverside behind him, Lunatic Soul, the other side of his musical persona, has become his focus. The project recently joined Inside Out Music, but here we are with one last release through Kscope. Transition II releases on June 26th.
Lunatic Soul was never meant to be a full-fledged musical endeavor. Mariusz just wanted to make a couple albums, but they were so good that we fans just wouldn’t allow him to stop, or at least that’s my head canon. Indeed, all of the Lunatic Soul albums hold a special place in my heart, and in my wife’s heart, too. We hold them up with all the Riverside albums.
The track “Transition” from Lunatic Soul II (the white album) is especially meaningful for us as we had it playing as my son, Atlas, was born. It felt right. It felt sacred. I was obviously quite excited about “Transition II”, then, part of the deluxe version of 2020’s Through Shaded Woods. At that point, it was a 28-minute Oldfield epic of sorts that revisited many feelings and abstractions from the Lunatic Soul discography. I loved it.
Honestly, I debated reviewing this new release simply because we’ve heard most of it before, sort of. Transition II brings us that titular epic in a shorter form (about 5 minutes cut off), two remixes of the other deluxe edition bonus tracks, plus one new song called “Realm of the Weeping Willows”. Now, these tracks never made it onto vinyl, so think of this release as the deluxe version of Through Shaded Woods finally being released on vinyl, but without reselling you the main album you already own.
Yet, Transition II works as an album by itself. It is about 45 minutes long, it flows together wonderfully, and it feels incredibly nostalgic. Transition II is to Through Shaded Woods as Impressions was to the first two Lunatic soul albums, in a way. This time around, though, it is the first step towards a greater future for Lunatic Soul and for Duda’s career as a whole.
First up, we get “Realm of the Weeping Willows”, a fantastic new track that I absolutely love. It begins with the folk energy of the Through Shaded Woods album, quintessentially green and foresty. Yet, this song is layered, featuring ambient portions and some riveting vocal segments with some truly addictive melodies and harmonies. Parts of this song feel darker than the original album, like traveling through a spectral kingdom of shadows. It is gorgeous and immediately one of my favorite songs this year.
The next two tracks are the remixes of “Hylophobia” and “Vyraj”. They honestly don’t sound that different from the originals, so there really isn’t much to say. The former is all folk energy and warm harmony, and I love the crunchy bass riffs. The latter feels like a dance around a fire, or a ritualistic frolic in the forest. It is beautiful and bright.
Now, I’ll come right out and say this version of “Transition II” is my favorite. The original was perhaps slightly too long for its own good, and this somewhat condensed version hits all the high points with more elegance and ease. We lose none of the best parts whatsoever, so I think this is the definitive version. This is Mariusz channeling Oldfield, not just his cinematic and folk style, but also his New Age and electronic sides. You’ll hear plenty of familiar motifs from throughout the entire LS library, not like a medley, but truly integrated into a new piece. That means the song is deeply nostalgic and pulls at the heartstrings, but is also engaging and fresh. I particularly love the more atmospheric sections that remind me of Impressions in how personal, quiet, and breathy they are. They almost remind me of early Riverside at times, too.
Mariusz Duda is moving on, and Transition II is his farewell to Kscope and that particular Lunatic Soul sound. It is worthy of being an album to itself; worth every penny, honestly. I’m excited to see where he goes next, what sounds he produces, and which new worlds we will visit with him.
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