Nicolás Cóppola - That Daring Spacecraft (2016 Remaster)

Nicolás Cóppola

That Daring Spacecraft (2016 Remaster)
self-released; 2016

3.6 out of 5

By Matt Jensen
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I remember rummaging through stacks of CD’s at a place like Best Buy back in the’90s and seeing albums that were remastered. At the time I really had no idea what that meant but even back then I realized this was probably a unique marketing strategy to sell more CD’s. Mastering is really the last leg of the production process before an album is released. The process can help tame dynamics, ensure each track is at a similar volume, make EQ adjustments and quite a bit more these days.

Mastering can make quite a difference in the sound of an album and such is the case with That Daring Spacecraft by Nicolás Cóppola. Cóppola wasn’t happy with the initial sound of his first release but getting the album remastered was just the right amount of improvement to have the songs see a new light.

Aesthetically That Daring Spacecraft does sound great. Cóppola’s songs are dense with a vast array of sounds and dynamics, and it’s impressive he was able to have such separation. The sounds Cóppola presents are mostly synths whether it is arpeggiated or a pad. Synths are the focal point of the songs as the songs do not contain any vocals. 

The album starts off with “September the 5th” which sounds a lot like an alien spacecraft is landing. I’m pretty sure that what the sounds were trying to mimic but don’t quote me on that. “Breaking Orbit - Into the void” is where the album starts picking up some energy. That energy mostly come from the synths rather than the percussion. The arpeggiated synths are upfront in the mix and the kick drum is rather subtle.

The highlight of the album may be the remix of “Prometheus.” It’s an epic sounding song with an angel like choir and high octane percussion. Don’t miss this one. As the album progresses there is a lot of music to take in such as the experimental, minimal and jagged “Outskirts of the Galaxy” or the intense inferno of “The Great Red Spot.”

​At fourteen songs That Daring Spacecraft is a dense album that took some effort to get through. I will say it was worth the effort as you are awarded with a myriad of different texture and tones. In the end I think having the album remastered was a  worthwhile decision.

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