“Dreams Beyond Terra”, released on Heart Dance Records, is the debut album by ELEON. This deep and lush electronic work is unabashedly Chill while steeped in the aesthetic of current EDM. There is no shortage of space and sparkle as a vivid curtain of ambient pads and guitar-like washes veil ELEON’s carefully crafted beats and progressions.
Co-produced by recording artist David Helpling, each track on Dreams Beyond Terra is bursting with color and drama. Beneath all of the production there is a warm heart of calm, beauty and optimism that seems to somehow fuse the entire record together. From the first shimmering blast of “Species Communicating” it is clear that this is not your typical Chill/Groove release. Aggressive yet laid-back beats extended the low end in a special way while over modulated synthesizers repeat a syncopated hypnotic riff that you’ll be humming for days.
The second track “Terra Sanctuary” is a clear single that will bring you in and set you down on a white sand beach. Warm synths and breathy female vocals pulse and surround a solid ultra-cool steady beat. ELEON’s piano parts bloom with optimism while whale-like guitar phrases and tapped harmonic chimes slip in and through the mix courtesy of David Helpling. Every one of the 12 pieces on Dreams Beyond Terra is created and produced with craft and color with no shortage of sparkle and light. Unlike most Chill/Groove records, Dreams Beyond Terra is designed to be listened to from start to finish, with each song telling a part of a bigger story. There is an impenetrable underlying layer of optimism, hope and spirituality in the music that defines this first official release from ELEON.
Originally taken from a potential album title, ELEON is the stage moniker for electronic recording artist Michael Rogers. Growing up with a learning disability in Mesquite Texas, Michael spent much of his time at home. This never stopped him from always chasing his dreams and he was always drawn to music. Coming of age in the 80’s lured Rogers into all things electronic. As a child, Michael learned to play toy Yamaha keyboards by ear, and by the 1990s, he purchased his first professional synthesizer and began learning computers
and recording techniques, and soon began composing original tunes on professional synth workstations, never learning to read music.
As a constant dreamer and passionate fan of SciFi and Fantasy, Michael poured his energy into vast electronic compositions, and by 2008, he had established his first all-digital music studio. Over the past decade Michael has produced so much music that he himself has trouble keeping track of it all, but until now has never officially released a record.
With his eclectic taste in music, Michael’s influences have given him a foundation to create a large body of work in a short time. From Glen Campbell Christmas records as a child to early favorites like Michael Jackson, Nat King Cole, and Duran Duran, leading up to current-day acts like Daft Punk, Imogene Heap, and Imagine Dragons, Michael’s sense of musical inspiration has been finely honed. In views creating music as first building the tree trunk (the foundation), then the branches which tells you how big this tree is and finally the rustling of tens of thousands of leaves which fill in all of the gaps and color, bringing the tree (song) into it’s full impact and detail.
Over the past decade Michael has reached out to several artists he feels a musical connection to. One of which was California-based recording artist David Helpling. Though the two have still not officially met, exchanging tracks, sharing sounds and communicating online has built a strong bond. “When I first heard his ideas for this record I was instantly drawn to it…I could hear the heights he wanted to take these ideas to and was happy to co-produce the record” ~ David Helpling.
You may pre-order the album on Bandcamp.