This month’s Spotlight is a high-energy prog-rock number, complete with interesting time signatures, excellent performances, skillful programming and an exemplary arrangement. From the production notes, the recording went through several stages on its way to completion. Starting with the rhythm section, the software-derived Steven Slate drums sound absolutely fantastic. The tones that the duo chose shine here. Kudos to Patrick and Kenny for the tight, effective and (above all) realistic-sounding programming. As for its dance partner, the bass was equal to the task. We dug its clear mid-range tone, and the pumping performance strengthened the music bed. The way that the creative panning on the electric guitars expanded and contracted the stereo field was very cool. This helped define different areas of the arrangement throughout the track, and the tones were top-notch once again. As for the vocals, they are just as quality as the instruments, with a vibe that ideally captures the prog genre in our book. Kenny is blessed with an enviable range, and he blended the vocal layers to perfection in the mix.

The mix can make or break a recording. We are happy to report that the quality evident in all of the areas mentioned earlier carries over to the mix. All the various elements are well presented, resulting in a really pro-sounding project.