Time Rival – Cambrian Explosion

He has been making music for twenty years, but until the birth of his first child, it had only ever really been a hobby. His outlook shifted drastically when he looked into his son's eyes for the first time and realized that he had to be a positive role model.

What better way to do that, he thought, than to follow his long term dream, and try to carve out a career as a musician.

Southard's decision is to the benefit of all of us – as we can all now lose ourselves in Time Rival's eerie, atmospheric world. 'Cambrian Explosion' is simple, sparse and yet incredibly evocative.

There are synthwave influences here as well as the more obvious ambient inspirations, and the Vangelis-like synth tones invoke shadowy, futuristic landscapes.

This track is a lesson in how much can be achieved with relatively little, providing each element is selected with care and precision.

If you want to hear more of Southard's work, a good place to start is his Bandcamp page. You can also check him out on Twitter, Soundcloud and Facebook.