Welcome to Lab’s Cloud’s latest release on Altar Records.
Raul Jordan (of Valencia Spain) is the man behind this inspiring project, where shimmering melodies meet deep pulsing textures, for a memorable musical journey. Prepare to kick start your festival season by “Connecting on a Deeper Level”.


After playing the psy trance festival circuit successfully for several years, Raul found himself wanting to explore the new emerging sounds of psy ambient & down tempo. Thus it was in 2004 that his new project was born. With Lab’s Cloud, Raul is realizing his musical dream of bringing healing to the planet through sound.


Musically speaking, the use of melody here is really top notch and right in the pocket -not to mention nicely restrained, leaving the listener eager for more. And Raul’s outstanding production skills have helped propel his music to the top of the psybient charts, and resonate with music lovers worldwide. Much of his skills tie in to the fact that he’s worked as an R&D engineer for developing professional audio components such as EQ, compressors and limiters, and also has a music mastering service. In fact, for many listeners he’s considered technically on par with Asura, E-Mantra, and even Aes Dana.


It goes without saying that over the last few decades, the evolution of software and hardware for music production has really taken off, and gotten to the point where almost anything is possible. So it’s refreshing to come across a release like this that actually shows how ‘less is more’. The simplicity of the approach taken here is really the album’s greatest strength. There are no extraneous sounds; everything has its place and contributes to the story and the journey. There’s a lot of space around each instrument. And it’s that space that allows the listener to dive in for a deeper connection, creating an even richer experience.


Always a fave on the festival circuit (where he’s known for playing both synths and percussion live), expect to hear this album a lot in the chill out and main stages this coming season. Lab’s Cloud has created something timeless with an album that feels so fresh it calls out to be listened to on repeat. “Connecting on a Deeper Level” is a sublime fusion of undulating light and love transformed into sound, proving that one shining heart can indeed touch the hearts of many. Get ready to dive in deep and rise anew with Lab's Cloud latest release on Altar Records.

Tracks description:

Spiritual Level:
Lab’s Cloud sets the mood of the album with this first track highlighting the preferred colours of his impressive sonic palette: layered pads, tasteful one shots (richly layered with organic, expressive sounds), and pumping atmospheric sounds. Add some soft washes of sounds on the builds, signature hi hats, woody rhythmic passages, and a very textured, tight approach to the drum programming end of things and you've got the secret sauce of the Lab's Cloud recipe. Sprinkle in the occasional growling synth line for emphasis and you’ve got your ticket to a new Spiritual Level.

Seek the Light:
The spiritual theme of the album continues here, with a spoken word sample encouraging us to ‘seek the light’. Glassy keyboard melodies provide a peaceful feeling as does the etheric flute. The drum sounds and programming remain snappy and upfront, providing a delicious contrast to the pads and flute.

Connecting on a Deeper Level:
The album’s title track goes for a nicely driving mid tempo approach, with a 4/4 kick, bigger hi hats, ever-changing rhythmic patterns and one shots. The omnipresent long pad sounds and dubbed out short melody 'teases' hold things together nicely. There’s a sensual female vocal sample that transforms the spiritual approach taken thus far into something more earthy, almost tantric like.


El Despertar de Joel:
This one starts off with a snappy, bigger kick, tight snares, a very simple undulating melody, and some heavenly pad textures in the background. The main momentum of the track is the interplay between the kick, the plaintiff melody and the snare, along with little sonic flourishes and effects that perk up the soundscape.

Mental Vortex:
Picks up the pace a bit with some side-chained pulsing pads, a tight kick, lightly filtered hi hats, modulating arpeggios (unfolding ever so slowly), reverse sweeps and neat little synthetic percussive elements. With its building acidic-yet-subtle lead lines, this track has ‘dance floor pleasure’ written all over it.


Natural Potential:
Melancholic arpeggios, and a long sample of Osho are featured in the intro. The mood is forlorn, begging for resolution, as he states: “All that you can do is…not interfere.” Then we get some sharper sounding arpeggios, as well as some softer, almost flute like ones, and then (surprise) some sultry keyboard riffs, bringing a 70’s progressive vibe to the track. Sphongle-like natural sounding drum grooves and the arpeggios really take their place front and center in this track. Halfway through there’s some interesting melodies, almost bitter-sweet, major-minor in sound that add to the story telling feeling that unfolds. A very restrained yet profound and accomplished piece of music.


Damping Factor:
We get back into deeper territory here, with more reverb and a slower pace, but the drums are still active. Melody lines echo with delays off into imaginary mountain tops, and warm pads swirl in the background. Sounds are slightly muffled at times, keeping in line with the song title.

Green Beats -A Touching Trip (remix):
Balearic acoustic guitar riffs start the track, along with warm shakers, dubbed out soft synth lines, and trippy vocal samples. There’s also a really nice little glassy sounding melody that’s a lot of fun. Once the kick starts up it’s a nice snappy pattern, accentuated by occasional dub drum fills. Rising arpeggios create emotional intensity that takes us into the break before things heat up again. There’s a feeling of playfulness present here…some child-like wonder speaking to the importance of not taking things too seriously, but just enjoying the ride that life is providing us.


Numen (LC Ambient mix):

The original track was a collaboration with fellow psybient all-star AstroPilot.
Haunting, stretched out pads, gentle piano riffs, and infinite reverb take the listener to a land of Shangri-La, drifting on dreamlike clouds in a state of perpetual paradise to end this amazing journey of an album.