If I was asked to introduce electronic music to someone that is either unfamiliar or apprehensive towards it, Northern Lights would be on the playlist, for sure. Kenny Larkin under his Pod alias brings emotional depth and considered sound engineering which is seldom seen in charting electronic/dance music today.
Clear chimes laced with reverb dance across the entirety of the piece, which slide from note to note as time goes on. The melody really highlights the harmony with is laid out by muggy synths, but the satisfying cadence is driven by the frequent caustic descending run. A three note ascending piano is also directing the listeners ear to harmonic resolution. This constant striving towards the ‘home’ provides subtle tension and makes that alien, descending run that much more pleasing. A restrained drum beat provides forward motion without distracting from intricacies such as dynamic inflections and the understated dubbing.
To this day, this track still evokes a sense of futurism that is often bundled with boom of electronic music in early nineties.