If it’s not enough that Hunter’s music sparkles and shines with understated beauty, this pack also includes a devotional DVD and poetry from his app project. It simply has to be tried.

Time: 10 tracks / 53 mins / + DVD
www.presenceproject.com

From his excellent début CD Exodus, Hunter has constantly blended his technical prowess and musical sensitivity to set him apart from the pack. I know of no one in Britain who starts to match him, when it comes to creating excellent Christian EDM, and I’d probably say the same for America, too.

It is no criticism of what he produces that my personal instincts gravitate less to his R&B tendencies and more to the rockier side of his dance music (there is plenty of power and ever-changing colour for prog fans to enjoy). The beauty of this release is that such a distinction simply does not exist here. On this ongoing project, he is mellower, but still ever-tuneful, and well able, I suspect, to harness both sides of his audience.

Here he has changed his emphasis, as the music plays sidesman to the rest of the art on this project. It is less a CD and more the hard copy record of an ongoing devotional app, the instrumental soundtrack is toned down from his regular releases, but certainly not bland.

It is a sign of his sensitivity that he knows how to tread this line: it is devotional without the standalone music being colourless, and the CD is interesting on its own without distracting from the visual side of the project when they appear together.

"Come to Me" – like all the tracks – has no words, but has such a strong tune that you may find yourself singing “Come near to me,” or something similar, as it plays.

Musical highlights include "Over the Water" and especially "Woven" with its mix of dreamy top end and funky, addictively rhythmic bass synth riff. But really, the whole disc is tremendously accessible and poppy, with a shiny production.

Each track is built around a scripture verse, expanded by music, video, and an inspirational poem. Based around the words of Romans 12: 1-2, the music of "Transform" has a giddying video (that takes a very literal approach to the gospel imperative to turn) and a poem called “Life” that urges us to
    “Reject guilt and opt for grace
     And whisper words of hope into a culture of chaos,
     Embrace Life”

The visuals seem half filmed in the States and half filmed in Swansea. Shots of nature, especially swirling time-lapse Milky Ways, are a favourite; but ordinary people in devotional mode also feature.  

But this is one to experience, rather than read about. The app is free, as are the YouTube videos, so you can fully try before you buy.  

(There is an interview coming before too long)


Derek Walker
http://walkerwords.wordpress.com