Phantasy of Mirage - EP

My instructions were to write something short and sweet on Phantasy of Mirage’s debut EP. Here are the three key points:

1. The Music
Phantasy of Mirage is a four-piece post-rock band – guitar, bass, synth and drums. Their take on the post-rock genre is to achieve balance.

There is balance between melody and texture. There is balance between the band members when they perform live. There is balance between quiet reflective moments and loud dynamic drives within each song. The balance the band achieves is astounding as it lulls the listener into thinking that their songs are throwaway background muzik. Nothing can be further from the truth as it is the simple balancing that is the hardest to achieve.

2. The Package
The packaging of their EP is beautiful. The band got together to handcraft each CD and its packaging individually. The artwork is thick and textured with swirling paint. Quite symbolic of their music, I thought.

3. The Hook
The other day, we got home from brunch and I put on the CD.

“Is this Phantasy of Mirage?” asked The Wife.

“Yup.”

“I still think they are better than 甜梅號 (Sugar Plum Fairy).”

I know better than to argue with The Wife then but that is a big claim. Whether they can break through like their illustrious genre-mate remains to be seen. I am looking forward to see if Phantasy of Mirage can take the next big step after their military service hiatus.

You can find Phantasy of Mirage on Facebook and Indievox.