The Mirror is the thinking man’s futurepop.  Where most synthpop groups are liable to borrow liberally from the sounds of techno and trance to create their body-moving music, Soil & Eclipse possess a neo-classical sensibility more akin to orchestral music than rave-fodder. Interestingly, the deep male vocals on The Mirror, with their sing-along hooks and chorus-heavy style, seem influenced by classic Goth rock acts like Rosetta Stone, Diary of Dreams, and Suspiria. It’s an odd influence, but it fits the dark electronics that Soil & Eclipse use very well.  The Mirror also features a pleasing sonic variety: on “Violin,” chanted vocals in Latin are married to orchestral synths, mechanized drum beats, and a mournful violin melody to create a neo-Dark Ages dance floor filler, while the electro-torch song “Her Self” gives a Bowie-esque thrill.  (I can’t help but think that “Her Self” is the additive inverse of Bowie’s version of “China Girl.”)  Though Soil & Eclipse are probably best known for remixing other artists, The Mirror certainly deserves appreciative ears.

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