Haikunika - 'Ludorigen' | Obscure Sound

The excellent debut album from Haikunika, Veronica Polo’s electronic project, Ludorigen draws on decades of experimentation with technology and sound, moving between downtempo electronica, ambient composition, and experimental pop. A former member of Pittsburgh’s experimental electronic collective Operation Re-Information, Polo composed, produced, and performed nearly the entire eleven-track release herself in Logic.

The aptly titled “In the Beginning…” opens the album with a simmering assortment of spacey synth lushness, trickling water sounds, radio frequencies, and spoken-word samples, crafting a radio-dial feeling as one traverses glimpses of humanity amidst the more grandiose, deep reaches of space. This riveting soundscape flows cohesively into the album’s title track, where bouncy rhythms and slight guitars complement a singing beckoning: “We have brains and we have hearts, why don’t we collaborate, make some art?” Ruminations on “the origin of play” persist thereafter amidst a hypnotic, sitar-y injection, emphasizing the album’s ability for both heady introspections and melodic art-pop maneuvers.

Another fantastic track, “Interstellar” enthralls in its initial spoken-word procession and movement to the “travel to this place” vocal colorfulness. Joan Arnau Pàmies’ hypnotic keyboard and guitar additions compel on three album tracks — “Ludorigen,” “Interstellar,” and “Let It Out” — and on “Interstellar” the production is especially absorbing as glimmering synth tones combine with a dynamic array of lush spoken-word and soaring vocals. Elsewhere, “First Dweller” builds on sparse initial rhythms, moving into caressing vocals exploring the trials of life, reminding “you can relax, you’ve arrived” as heartfelt strings enter the mix. A dynamic, emotionally impactful success of an album, Ludorigen is a fully memorable output from Haikunika.