As winter is approaching its last month, German producer Björn Schönebeck delivers the soundtrack for spring with Schoonebeek & Aestie – Raum & Zeit. The opus was released under his new alias Schoonebeek and in collaboration with songwriter/producer Aestie. The deep yet energetic synth-heavy track is a delightful surprise for the fans of Deep Melodic & Progressive music, especially those who are familiar with Bjørn Beck’s previous projects. This is also not the first collaboration between the artists, previously they worked together on a nostalgic and sentimental single called Kinderspiel. And while the latter was an exploration of the artists’ inner worlds, the ambitious new Schoonebeek & Aestie song is aiming for the stars.
The basis for the exploration of spacetime is set by Aestie’s subtle and weightless vocals. Together with the atmospheric lead and pad synths, they create the feeling of distance and scale of the track. But as the arpeggiated synths open up and close, the vocals stay constant, only being extended by enormous reverb tails and delays. Thus, the “pulsating” nature of the melody makes them sound like a cosmic lighthouse on this new Schoonebeek & Aestie song, reminding the traveler/listener of their distant home.
With the topics of longing and waiting at its core, it’s only natural that the song heavily relies on arpeggios that are in the minor key. And the length of the track, notably on the extended version, which is more than 7 minutes long, allows Schoonebeek & Aestie to explore those progressions and put their entire potential to work. By using multiple synth sounds for this goal, the artists build a colorful and expansive sonic world, diving into which is a breathtaking experience for any fan of Deep Melodic & Progressive music.