Having crested the west coast modular-ambient wave in just a few releases- including 2018's Sharing Waves on the influential LA experimental imprint Leaving Records- Sean Hellfritsch has swapped the mossy analog synth improvisations of his prior output for refined melodic arrangements dressed in sprightly dawn-of-digital textures. Big Earth Energy plumbs the depths of Hellfritsch's multimedia mind and naturalist heart, spinning an impressionistic narrative world off of cultural touchstones like the PC game MYST, and the work of Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi. Inspired by the aforementioned, and guided by Hellfritsch's experience as an animator and filmmaker, Big Earth Energy is the soundtrack to a hypothetical video game with a pointedly ecological premise, and a twist of psychedelic charm. In Hellfritsch's imagined virtual journey, the player assumes the perspective of a treefrog sixty-five-million years ago, hopping epochs with each new level, forming a comprehensive picture of the massive hanges the planet has gone through over the eons. The ultimate goal of the game is not to amass resources, defeat enemies, or gain power, but to fully witness the unfolding of one of the biggest systems of energy imaginable- or as the album's creator puts it- "to explore the incomprehensibly vast energetic expression and mystery that is Earth." Big Earth Energy is steeped in exploratory RPG intrigue, possibility, and contemplation, lovingly overlaid with Miyazaki-an sentiments and aesthetics. The through-composed, organic, meandering synthesis heard on previous Cool Maritime albums has been fully replaced by meticulous polygonal arrangements that recall the computerized sheen of late 80s work by composers like Hiroshi Yoshimura, and Yoichiro Yoshikawa- using true-to-period gear no less. Even given it's referentiality, Big Earth Energy comes off as forward-facing where so much reminiscent music remains fixed to a bygone moment in pop culture. Hellfritsch has created a musical world where the endless verdancy of the biosphere finds it's parallel in the golden age of early 1990s video games, and late 80s Japanese environmental music, all while pointing to a hopeful planetary and artistic future that vindicates the motives of all of these muses.
Release date:
May 20, 2022
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Vevor Ultrasonic Cleaner
Thoroughly clean and restore your vinyl records, removing dust, dirt, and grime from every groove without damaging the surface
-
Technics SL-1500C Turntable
Features a direct-drive motor, a high-precision tonearm, and a premium MM cartridge, delivering exceptional sound quality
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
HumminGuru: Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
Advanced ultrasonic technology with customizable cleaning cycles and a large tank capacity to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, and contaminants
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Alan Parsons Project I Robot (Super Deluxe Edition Box Set) [2xLP]
Cooking Vinyl
October 17, 2025 -
Alter Bridge Alter Bridge [2xLP]
Napalm Records
January 9, 2026 -
Kara-Lis Coverdale A Series of Actions in a Sphere of Forever
Smalltown Supersound
October 3, 2025 -
Tom Smith There Is Nothing in the Dark That Isn't There in the Light - Maroon
Play It Again Sam
December 5, 2025 -
Helstar Devil's Masquerade
Massacre Poland
November 14, 2025 -
KAROL G Tropicoqueta (Tangerine) (Amazon Exclusive) [2xLP]
Bichota Records/Interscope
September 26, 2025 -
Chase Rice Eldora
Dack Janiels Records
September 19, 2025 -
Bloodred Hourglass We Should Be Buried Like This (Orange/Green)
Out Of Line
October 24, 2025 -
Daniel O'Donnell Now & Then (Picture)
Demon / Edsel
October 3, 2025 -
The Story So Far I Want to Disappear in the USA [2xLP]
Many Hats Dist
November 14, 2025 -
Biffy Clyro Futique
Warner Records
September 26, 2025 -
The Last Dinner Party From The Pyre
Island
October 17, 2025 -
Coroner Dissonance Theory
Century Media
October 17, 2025 -
Acumen Nation Transmissions From Eville (30th Anniversary)
Distortion Productions
October 10, 2025