This project is a duo consisting of Juilliard-trained soprano Michelle Hache and Derek Smootz, the producer of ambient project Longing for Orpheus, along with several guest performers. They describe the album thus: “Zephyrium takes you on a journey through impossible spaces, reforging the masterworks of the Western Art Music tradition with the infinite variety of sonic textures provided by modern synthesis.” This is a lot to live up to; let’s see if they can pull it off. The album opens with “Amarilli, Mia Bella,” an operatic number with alto female vocals that is reminiscent of Ataraxia. “Pie Jesu” shifts a bit, with a downtempo beat that give it a poppy, yet ethereal, feeling. “Dido’s Lament” opens with whispered vocals and an overall melancholy sound. In “Pur Ti Miro,” the vocals dominate, which is kind of a shame because the music underneath is quite nice. This reminds me of early Miranda Sex Garden. This formula – strong female vocals at the forefront – dominate the rest of the album. There are some deviations from this. For example, the dancy beat in “Addio del Passato” is a bit jarring against the vocals. The closest comparison here is Die Form. I typically enjoy this formula, but I found this album to blur together. Where Die Form juxtaposes Philippe’s growling vocals against Eliane’s stunning mezzo-soprano, this album had an element of sameness to it. Part of it is the style of singing. My wife described this as “Broadway style” (i.e., Phantom of the Opera or Les Misérables). As a debut, it is promising though, and I would be interested to see how this project evolves. This album weighs in at around 47 minutes.