City Light Mosaic - Restless Ego (2021)

City Light Mosaic's sophomore LP is an abrupt and jarring departure from the ethereal soundscapes and dreamy tones of his previous album, Indigo City Burning.

Restless Ego is both abrasive and unnerving, taking on a variety of styles through a dark, twisted lens. Running at a tight-knit six tracks, this album is easily City Light Mosaic's most focused project to date, while still pulling from a variety of styles and influences. The producer's eclectic nature shines through here, going from Industrial Hip-Hop or Gabber to Dark Ambient and Free Jazz, often in the same track.

Taking on the role of director, City Light Mosaic carefully curates a variety of features from Avant-Folk musicians, to Fax Gang's PK Shellboy. Each feature plays out more like an actor being cast in a film, rather than a music collaborator.

Restless Ego is a manic and chaotic interpretation of paranoia, anxiety, and self-destructive idealization. A truly ambitious album and certainly a big shift from the ambient producer's previous outings.