Vase’s “Liminal Phase, Pt. 2” feels like a threshold experience, a beckoning to step out of the everyday into something immersive, hypnotic, and utterly transportive. The album begins with a swelling bass synth, a line on the horizon, moving outwards, inviting the listener into a space that is both infinite and intimate. The intro has an almost ritualistic quality to it, textured layers beginning to form around a warbling, cosmic synth that gently guides the track into motion. It is not just hearing but a physical experience, almost a palpable thing, the music molding the air about you. The energy is immediate yet controlled, high-octane without being overwhelming. It conjures the feeling of motion—bodies in harmony, breath falling into sync with the beat, a communal pulse rising in a common realm.
Vase is a master of dynamics throughout the composition, allowing the track to breathe and change in ways that feel organic and purposeful. The progression is subtle yet profoundly engaging and moves through phases that resemble the idea of liminality itself, a state of transition, of being between worlds. Sometimes the sound seems to sink below the surface, saturated in some watery dream haze, to rise up again with new force. This buildup and drop-off creates a sense of tension and resolution. It keeps the listener in anticipation. The track is elevated above standard techno with cerebral motifs based on modal melodies and jazz-inflected harmonies that add a layer of sophistication. It is music that calls for movement and reflection, inviting the listener to lose himself while also becoming aware.
The track takes a striking turn halfway through, with the introduction of a bright, almost tropical synth that slices through the darker textures like a beam of light. The moment appears to be a turning point, offering a little bit of euphoria to the emotional landscape of the piece. It’s got this living, breathing quality to the way the synth pans out and develops; it feels like it is taking you through some ancient yet futuristic ritual. There’s an undeniable retro-futurism at play here, a blend of primal rhythm and forward-thinking sound design that is at once grounded and otherworldly. It is here that the conceptual debt of Vase to the notion of the mysterium fascinosum, the attractive, almost holy pull of transcendental experience by Rudolph Otto, comes into sharpest focus. And the track is an expression of this idea, a musical space that is ecstatic and deeply spiritual.
And this aspect is what makes “Liminal Phase, Pt. 2” so great—its dedication to true-to-life sound and philosophy. It was produced with the help of mastering engineer Jesse Skeens at Medway Studios and is crafted to evoke the unmistakable texture of a vinyl record spinning in a dimly lit warehouse. It’s got turntable brake effects and spin-backs, which add a tactile realism that roots the track in the history of underground rave culture. The fusion of analog and digital processing lends the track a timeless feel. Its fabric, a nod to the roots of techno and its communal spirit, echoes the warehouse scene of East London. But that’s a statement of the future, a reminder of music’s power to unify and uplift. In this age of fragmentation, Vase is a place to connect, share, and transcend. “Liminal Phase, Pt. 2” is a journey, a ritual, and a testament to the enduring power of sound to move body and soul.
