Mike Bodulow started creating cinematic loops after leaving San Francisco, CA, where he played bass for post-metal, post-punk and instrumental projects like The Wolf & I, At All Times, Snakemonster and Luning. After his move to Tulsa, OK, he became a one-man band and recently released Foretold and Forgotten.
In a live setting Bodulow uses a loop station to create all the parts. I’ve seen similar acts and it’s really cool to see live if done properly. Although I have not seen a live performance from this artist but I did spend some time with his album which is instrumental and leans into post-rock.
The album begins with “Before the World Moved On,” a circular piano melody and what might be xylophone. This song in particular reminded me of a band like Mogwai. It has a classic post-rock feeling to me.
“Cybercats on the Prowl” is next and similar to the previous songs has a lot of post-rock elements in place. There’s a good amount of hall reverb and pretty but melancholy moments. The song did sound like one long build in some ways. It’s also quite meditative and tranquil.
We start to get into the heart of the album with “When Darkness Brings Forth New Friends.” This song is a little darker and more epic in scope. The guitar is doing sixteenth notes and the bass provides the foundation. It’s a pretty epic song and I really enjoyed the last minute or so when the piano came in.
“From Darkness to Dystopia” is an ambient interlude that is under a minute long. It’s foreboding and ominous sounding that transitions into the most epic song yet entitled “Near-Future Dystopia (ft. the abyss inside us).” The guitars sound huge and there’s a good amount of distortion and reverb on them which adds to this cosmic quality. It’s also very intense with lots of energy and transitions. This felt like a highlight to me.
“When Did Reality Become a Rare Condition?” is much brighter and joyous sounding. It’s a very melodic song as well which brought the band Explosions in the Sky to mind. “When You Love a Robot and it Doesn’t Love You Back” is a great one that hits on all the criteria of post-rock. It’s an emotional ballad of sorts in terms of post-rock. There’s a minimalist transition called “Little Prelude in A” which sounds like a xylophone. The closer “Watching Your Memories Fade Away” starts with a heavy and serious sounding piano. It builds with more instrumental parts and has this romantic and introspective quality. I thought it was a great way to end the album.
My only slight bone to pick is the drum sound. I have to admit a live drum sound was something I thought would benefit these songs a little more.
Overall, fans of bands like Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and other like-minded bands should appreciate this release. Recommended.
Heather Savage
