Rick Wade: Neverending Reflections LP

Rick Wade began 2012 with a great collaboration that is right up my alley called Neverending Reflections on Harmonie Park. Yes, there is much music to talk about but there is also a lot more going on within this project. The one sheet states, “This album is a soundtrack for the graphic novel, Neverending Reflections. The story is a joint collaboration created by Abdul Haqq, Shinichiro Watanabe and Dai Sato, and features Rick Wade as the main character.” This automatically piqued my interest because I enjoy when sound is put to vision. This 13 track album ranges from Deep House to down-tempo to mid-tempo grooves and even features Wade remixing an Andy Vaz vocal piece.

The album begins very nicely as it establishes Wade’s signature sound – lush chords, pulsating bass lines and smooth arrangements. My favorite Deep House jam on this release is “GNAs Theme” with its catchy bass line and moving atmosphere that is rocking from beginning to end. Fans of Wade’s Deep House sound will not be disappointed by all the four-on-the-floor tunes within this project, but yet the surprises of this album come in the form of mid-tempo beats. “Amnesia Game” is a very impressive mid-tempo tune due to its flowing composition with a full range of orchestration as the horn licks in and out, changing chords, and grooving bass line. I could spend more time talking about the other tunes but I urge you to check the sound samples yourself: this soundtrack is good for the clubs, the MP3 players, and most importantly, connecting the tunes to the graphic novel. For me it is simply refreshing to see someone meshing two of their passions together, as Wade is an aficionado of Japanese anime and manga; and now he has scored his very own graphic novel. The album will be available in double vinyl and limited edition CD in early 2012. I cannot wait to see this project realized into its three physical forms.