PRESS REVIEWS

Timberline and Mountain Crest

Tuneloud Magazine

The Los Angeles based project Forest Robots headed by its sole proprietor Fran Dominguez, continues in its quest to enhance our connection to, and the preservation of, nature. The project which first began as a letter to Fran’s daughter about the wonders of nature expanded into a global communication with the release of its critically acclaimed debut album, “Supermoon Moonlight Part One”. Now via Emmasierra Songs, Dominguez presents the 10 track sophomore effort by Forest Robots, entitled “Timberline and Mountain Crest”. Though electronic and digitally created in an ultramodern studio environment, this is music that sounds like it has always existed, the same as with the wind, the sky and the trees.

There’s a lot of electronic music these days that try to be impacting by using dazzling effects, weird noises and anything else that would be out of the ordinary. “Timberline and Mountain Crest” doesn’t need all of that, and that’s why this album is so much more important than most other electronic releases. After listening to over forty minutes worth of music you get the feeling that you’ve heard something that matters, and not just some kid fiddling around with his new laptop and DAW.

“Timberline and Mountain Crest” is such a good album. What distinguishes Forest Robots from his peers, is his ability to transmit or capture a mood or emotion through electronic music, and in a much more intense fashion than many other artists of that kind.

Forest Robots had come up with a distinct, orchestral, cinematic, and nostalgic sound on his debut. Which he now continues to produce, only with the added luxury of more rhythmic and synth elements that lean towards synthwave, soul and funk flavors.

The opening track, “Sudden Bioluminescence”, is an excellent demonstration of the project’s more accessible aforementioned style. Forest Robots make use of this style in a particularly unique fashion, and this is a big part of what makes this greatest record.

“Where The Wild Summer Storms Run” is even more airier and upbeat, while “Through The Trees And Into Wide Open Landscapes” – which is the lead single – breathes warmth over a futuristic beat that plods and hovers with equal determination.

“Between The Orange And Purple Horizon” gives a very vivid feeling of place and sensation to the imaginative listener. Elsewhere, as on “As The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest”, the music is quiet and poignant, led by a gently glistening piano. “On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon” is a classic too.

The rhythm that kicks in, in juxtaposition to the plucked staccato strings, creates some of its specifically great moments. When paying particularly close attention to songs like “Farewell Sudden Summer Storm Clouds” and “When Forest Leaves Begin To Change” the listener is rewarded in finding expansive visions within the music’s myriad of delicacies.

With this album, Forest Robots creates a world out of music. And every sound adds to the construction of this world. On “Timberline and Mountain Crest”, the music steps away from the forest’s core and outside of the timberline, where different landscapes manifest themselves, and even when the album ends with “It’s Quietest At The Edge Of The Crestline”, it is difficult to step back into reality because this aural existence becomes so real.

I don’t have any possible flaws to delineate here: “Timberline and Mountain Crest” is a thoroughly immersive listening experience that has not only excellent songs, but an overarching theme that works in favor of the music therein, and vice-versa.

Jamsphere Magazine

Let’s start of by saying that Fran Dominguez aka Forest Robots is a master at producing chilled out electronic music with heavy beats, and lots of orchestral instrumentation thrown in the mix. To call it electronic music almost seems unfair, as it implies this is music made by machines. Yes, I realize he is called Forest Robots, but this could not be further from the truth, as Dominguez’s music is pumping with life and human emotion. His latest album “Timberline and Mountain Crest” showcases 10 tracks of stunning depth, the kind of album you just throw the headphones on, turn the lights out, close your eyes and get lost in. Out via Emmasierra Songs, this sophomore release by Forest Robots does have a back story, as does it’s critically acclaimed predecessor, “Supermoon Moonlight Part One”. Los Angeles based composer Fran Dominguez created the Forest Robots project over a period of several years during his travels to the legendary mountain range of Sierra Nevada.

Inspired by the natural landscapes, Fran at first compiled a collection of photos and narratives, which eventually inspired the music that would lead to the Forest Robots project. The birth of his daughter induced Rodriguez to educate her about the beauty and importance of nature.

This in turn led to his debut album “Supermoon Moonlight Part One”, which had its song narratives embedded within the confines of the forest. “Timberline and Mountain Crest”, steps outside the timberline to explore above and beyond. “Sudden Bioluminescence” opens things and it’s safe to say, if you like this you’ll totally love Forest Robots’ music.

This is Dominguez at his best, a great melodic track with heavy beats, shimmering synth lines and plenty more in the mix. A track you can bob your head to and relax to at the same time. Chilled perfection. “Where The Wild Summer Storms Run”, keeps the momentum moving forward with a thumping rhythm and well-defined bassline.

A thick layer of synths do the rest. “Through The Trees And Into Wide Open Landscapes”shuffles along with a pronounced kick and snare drum, as well as a set of busy keys to fill in the colors. Thoroughly suspenseful, the beat only relaxes towards its eerie end.

“Between The Orange And Purple Horizon” is among the highlights here. Extremely atmospheric and cinematic, the track also forges a strident mid-tempo beat and familiar-sounding bassline. The poignantly played piano on “As The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest”, makes for another standout track that conjures up vivid imagery connected to its title.

But Dominguez keeps it varied and interesting throughout, and changes gears on “On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon” where he juxtaposes the sound of plucked strings with heavy hip-hop drums. This has something so entrancing, and interesting about it, that just sucks me in.

A serene symphony of notes washes over the listener on “Farewell Sudden Summer Storm Clouds”, as we find ourselves in familiar territory of a sound that is categorically Forest Robots’own. Soothing textures and melodies, nature-inspired soundscapes, and, this time, he brought in a few surprises too.

Ultimately, the producer’s use of multiple sonic layers and deep rhythm on “When Forest Leaves Begin To Change” makes this a truly intriguing listen for any electronic instrumental fan. “It’s Quietest At The Edge Of The Crestline” closes the album with an eerie, spacey and mysterious backdrop, that will leave you pondering for a while.

This is a recording where the listener is engulfed in a stunning aural experience for the entire album’s length, with great variety in the individual songs and yet an over-arching sound that links the entire album into one cohesive and beautiful listen. You’ll love the feel of distinctiveness that everything here possesses. “Timberline and Mountain Crest” is an accessible ear-friendly recording with so many unique moments stuffed into each track.

Klef Notes

From energizing soundscapes to image-driven melodies, Forest Robots is a master when it comes to creating messages in music. That’s why I am so glad to reintroduce Forest Robots to my regular readers while introducing this artist to my new readers; and, his newest EP “Timberline and Mountain Crest” wastes no time in getting right into the magic.

Ten tracks encompass instrumental power and curiosity:

Sudden Bioluminescence
Where the Wild Summer Storms Run
Through the Trees and Into Wide Open Landscapes
Between the Orange and Purple Horizon
Treading Where Others Have Perished
As the Sun Rises Between Timberline and Mountain Crest
On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon
Farewell Sudden Summer Storm Clouds
When Forest Leaves Begin to Change
It’s Quietest at The Edge Of The Crestline

I will focus on six of the tracks to place emphasis on Forest Robots' ability to turn the needle on music’s compass to mental exploration.

Opening the album is the transient track “Sudden Bioluminescence” that just stops you in your tracks and makes you ponder on the how’s, whys, when’s, and what’s of life. The orchestration of the track’s melody is perfectly in line with the organic flow of things in life that spontaneously light up as the core melody starts slow and climbs in tempo and effect. It is pulsating and quietly elevating. And like a summer storm, the next track comes in with meaning.

You know the way, that perfect way, that the wind appears to be kissing you on each ear at different times? Well, that is how “Where the Wild Summer Storms Run” ushers into play. This track bounces into each ear, one at a time, and is so ridiculously awesome - WOW, what a great effect! Plus, this cut has a hook that is just so memorable. Like a tornado, it just eats up the trail of other artist’s EDM tracks reorganizing what many feel an EDM track should sound like. Gone is the monotony of over layered instrumental textures, overused digital soundscapes, and looping of melodies. This track is organic and progresses with fresh vibes. Nice!

Next, we have “Treading Where Others Have Perished” – a sort of one minute instrumental natural bridge that connects the tracks, which is followed by “As the Sun Rises between Timberline and Mountain Crest.”

“As the Sun Rises between Timberline and Mountain Crest” starts out with just a crisp piano and visually puts to mind the very moment when one sees the sun peak over a mountain. The piano and synths climb together, pull back, and then continue to climb with a cello joining in to pull the track to its finish. It is simplistic and richly fierce at the same time. If one could climb mount Vesuvius and reach its summit, this would be their score – the cello resembling rough edges that smooth-out as time goes on, and those crisp provoking piano notes and synths mirroring oozing lava.

The “wild card” of the bunch is the ninth track “When Forest Leaves Begin to Change,” and justly so, as the experience of seeing leaves change is abrupt. Something so normal as autumn takes a different approach each year: it starts at its own time and ends at its own time, the colors may be duller or brighter, or it could last two months to three months. When leaves begin to change in nature, it illustrates purposeful control within nature, thus teaching us how to refrain from lack of control. Moreover, this natural process also shows us how to never lose our vibrant colors. This track helps us to remember how change, self-control, and uniqueness go hand in hand.

“It’s Quietest at The Edge of the Crestline” is a contemplative track that closes the album smoothly and transiently. Eclectic soundscapes dance and mold onto each other without clashing or coming off as too melancholy. This track is impressionably visual and brings to mind the view of one clearing the woods on foot to encounter the shore at their reach.

I wanted to bring in 2019 with a more explorative take on music by reviewing Forest Robots’ “Timberline and Mountain Crest.” Forest Robots’ music brings that difference when it comes to Electronic Music. Not one song on this album is pretentious in its production with too many FX or overlapping melodies that makes the listener get lost in the mix. Each track is laid out with a crystal clear foundation that allows for a wonderful, fulfilling, listening experience.

And aesthetically, while both timberlines and mountain crests illustrate natural borders letting us know our limits, they also invite us to dare and explore what may seem impossible. This collection of instrumental music helps to enhance the emotions in us that make us climb, fly, swim, and dream in order to accomplish the impossible.

Awaiting your exploration is a collection of music that is very open-hearted and open-minded.

Stereo Stickman

Artist and producer Forest Robots’ second album release in a mere eight months is one that works hard to create something brilliantly immersive and interesting around its audience.

I’m actually inclined to say this feels like a totally different kind of project to Super Moon Moonlight Part One, there are as many elements of dance music as there are of ambient trip hop, and this comes in the form of entrancing rhythms and multiple layers of classic, even retro synths. From Sudden Bioluminescence through Where The Wild Summer Storms Run, the latter being a personal favourite, there are numerous riffs and hints of character that give a sense of identity, but at the same time – I found myself totally enjoying the sheer consistency, the creativity and the patterns that surround you.

Always one to throw in more than a few subtle curve balls, Forest Robots proves even further with this release that there is no limit to his creative reach – no hill too high to climb, no sound too unusual to approach and master with professionalism and care.

This feels like an EDM album to me, rather than something purely atmospheric. I admire it for these qualities, and it’s never the sort of pounding, fast-paced EDM that only suits a night out – far from it. These soundscapes are incredibly calming – the pulse of the music often syncing beautifully with your own. Through The Trees And Into Wide Open Landscapes is a fine example of this. Of course, as was the case before, the titles present a set of ideas that redirect the journey somewhat. That’s what so admirable about the music though – whatever the setting, everything fits. This can enhance a meditative or a thoughtful evening alike, and could just as well accompany the journey into town for something more vibrant and hard hitting.

Forest Robots manages to repeatedly offer trip hop soundscapes that also come with specific riffs and melodies or traits you might otherwise think of as relating to pop music or lyrical songwriting. Between The Orange And Purple Horizon, as an example, drives with two or three distinctive sounds that are easily recognisable once they’ve entered your world. And still there’s a journey outside of that – the music rains down in a joyful and rather overwhelming manner, so your mind runs wild among it.

Treading Where Others Have Perished is a short electrical journey that paves the way cleverly to the piano-led delicacy of As The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest. It’s at about this point you release the depth of thought of the artist, the images and ideas he may have been pondering as he built these compositions. This organic piece stands out brilliantly after what came before and sets intense escapism to work.

Leaning more towards experimentation, On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon fuses a distant, industrial beat with some rather striking synths, making for an unfamiliar experience but one that manages to rhythmically mesmerize nonetheless. There’s a level of joy to this that you soon get swept away by, every building block adds something peaceful and quite optimistic. Again you’d recognise it with ease after listening even just once. So many of these should be the soundtrack to the latest out-there season or film on Netflix.

Further colour and enchanting rhythms emerge with Farewell Sudden Summer Storm Clouds, as well as some brilliantly cinematic audio panning. Afterwards, When Forest Leaves Begin To Change relevantly introduces a touch of melancholy and calm. This evolves to become another personal favourite, a journey that completely envelops you and feels like far more than just music. Following that, It’s Quietest At The Edge Of The Crestline offers a similar level of detail and scene setting that brings the project to a stunning finish.

I’m not entirely sure quite how Francisco Dominguez creates these compositions – frankly I’m happy not knowing; the magic ever-remains this way. This final piece feels as if you’re sitting at the edge of the shore, not nearby but somewhere very far away – looking up the moon or even looking back at the earth from some other-worldly location. It’s not unsettling but incredibly calming. A beautiful way to finish and a wonderful feeling to leave an audience with – although, the silence after it ends is almost too much to handle. Fortunately this album is easy to revisit several times over.

The Faulkner Review

Forest Robots is the musical brainchild of electronic artist and composer Fran Dominguez and this project has an interesting and unusual genesis. It began when he began pictorially documenting his travels to the Sierra Nevada mountain range. When his daughter was born, he started to attach narratives to his collections to teach his daughter about the wonders of nature. This led to feeling inspired to compose music to go with these narratives and Forest Robots was born.

In May this year I gave a glowing review to the album Supermoon Moonlight – Part One. This follow up album, Timberline And Mountain Crest, has been completed just eight months later and consists of ten tracks. It is somewhat of a musical progression from the previous album; whilst Supermoon Moonlight had been based around nature-inspired ambient electronically with orchestral elements, here he retains the same natural inspirations whilst branching out into a more rhythmic style, incorporating synthwave, soul and funk. It has been described as Ambient R&B, and that is a good description.

Opening track Sudden Bioluminescence is a fine representation of this more expansive style. It starts with a swathe of atmospheric synths combining with pulsating, rhythmic synths which build the tension nicely. Then we hear an intricate yet languid dance groove enter, filled with subtle syncopations and rhythmic intricacies.

This becomes the foundation for a series of lead synth melodies which complement each other perfectly and maintain an excellent sense of melodic continuity. After breaking down midway, it builds back up then cleverly combines the various themes to great effect. It’s a very complex track, yet easy to listen to and built out of only three chords.

The evocatively named Where The Wild Summer Storms Run lives up to the promise of its title. Locking quickly into a tight 2/4 groove, the ear becomes hooked to the catchy synth melodies. A second section featuring some 80’s style chiming synths is a nice touch and towards the end we hear a theremin-style synth that adds more flavour to the sonic texture. One of the strong aspects of this album is how the titles perfectly fit the music, or rather how the music paints and portrays the title in sound.

Third track Through The Trees And Into Wide Open Landscapes is a good example of this quality. Beginning with the meditative ambient style which characterized Supermoon Moonlight, it gradually evolves into epic electronica with interweaving rhythms and melodies working in perfect synchrony.

This one works as a showcase for his compositional and programming skills, and the overall effect is hypnotic. Towards the four minute mark the music seems to evaporate and morphs into an otherworldly, disconnected section that evokes the ‘wide open landscapes’ of the title.

Between The Orange and Purple Horizon starts with a beautiful harp-esque synth melody, joined by a swingbeat that wouldn’t sound out of place on a hip hop record. As the piece develops, it gradually becomes more serene and dreamlike with some truly magical electronic sounds. You can easily picture the horizon in your mind’s eye, conjuring images of being stood on a mountain top staring at the sky. A transcendent track and one of the album’s finest.

After two epic five minute pieces, the eighty second Treading Where Others Have Perished acts as a nice contrast, a sparse but potent track that maintains the elevated vibe from the previous one.

Sixth track As The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest is essentially the title track of the album and feels like its centrepiece. It consists of a delicate, haunting piano figure that perfectly captures the sense of quiet awe and wonder a person can feel in nature. Aside from the repeating piano melody, we hear equally subtle bass which just lets one note per bar ring, giving a ‘floating in mid air’ effect which is augmented by sparse but powerful string synths.

On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon stands out from the pack with its angular, highly intricate funk beat and pizzicato strings that work as the main melody. The second section contains a multiplicity of melodies and percussive elements which acts as a counterpoint to the relative sparseness of the main section. I loved the use of a glockenspiel-type sound which gave it a magical feel, again apposite considering the title.

Track eight, Farewell Sudden Summer Storm Clouds has a tranquil quality, sort of what you might describe as the calm after the storm. There’s a slightly exotic, Eastern aspect to some of the themes and once again shows his talent for handling complex melodies and textures. When the soft beat breaks down at the end it allows the music’s subtleties to breathe and it finishes on a mystical high.

When Forest Leaves Begin To Change is about summer turning into autumn, an ambitious concept to try and capture in sound. But, indeed, the plaintive melodies do have a distinct autumnal vibe and you can feel yourself drifting away in its intoxicating and mesmeric sound world. Again, the music gradually builds in a clever, organic fashion and really blossoms at the end.

It leads to the album’s final track It’s Quietest At The Edge Of The Crestline which brings us full circle in terms of the title and overall concept. It’s an unearthly, hymnal piece of ambient music that casts a potent spell with the translucent, natural beauty of its sound and mood. Again, it captures that sense of deep wonder that the greatest of nature’s vistas can evoke and makes a fitting conclusion to this musical journey.

Overall, this is a sonic odyssey that takes its artistic inspiration from a deep love of nature, like much art of the past, musical, visual and literary. However, by incorporating the genres of ambient, soul, funk and synthwave in a seamlessly integrated way, it resurrects this form of inspiration and brings it decidedly into the modern era. It will appeal not only to ambient fans, but electronica fans in general and, in fact, music lovers right across the board. With a wealth of melodic and rhythmic detail that reveals itself on repeated listens, Timberline and Mountain Crest is a journey you will want to take again and again.

VERDICT: 9 out of 10

Alex Faulkner

Warlock Asylum International News

Forest Robots is an amazing electronic music composer that really reaches into the craters of sound to bring to the organic center of the melodies he so wonderfully composes to the forefront. Earlier this year, I had the honor of interviewing Forest Robots in conjunction with the release of his album "Supermoon Moonlight Part One". Fran Dominguez a.k.a. Forest Robots returns nearly eight months later with a new LP entitled "Timberline and Mountain Crest".

Forest Robots’ latest offering is a masterful album composed of ten soulfully crisp tracks. Timberline and Mountain Crest is a whole new vibe for Forest Robots. Yes, we still get that rich exuberant sound that we find in Supermoon Moonlight Part One. However, Forest Robots thickens the plot with the Timberline and Mountain Crest album by incorporating elements of R&B, along with other orchestral treats that find their way into the electronic landscape of the album. Tracks like "Where The Wild Summer Storms Run" and "When The Forest Leaves Begin To Change" are great examples of "Timberline and Mountain Crest"’s versatility.

Another album gem is "Through The Trees and Into Wide Open Landscapes". This track has a music video that features various scenarios which run accord with the tapestry of its sound. Overall, "Timberline and Mountain Crest" by Forest Robots is an unparalleled work of artistic brilliance and musical depth. This album is a vital contribution to the world of music.

The Bandcamp Diaries

Forest Robots recently released a brand new album, “Timberline and Mountain Crest.” The record shows off the band’s genre-defying attitude, with a driven and distinctive sound. Forest Robots create music that makes me think of artists like Vangelis, Flying Lotus or Jon Hopkins, only to mention a few. The record features highlights such as lead single “Through The Trees and Into Wide Open Landscapes.” This song has a cinematic feel, with an entrancing soundscape, really adding a unique texture to the concept. This song is a great indication of the high level of songwriting and composition that you can expect throughout the span of this album. Each sound is perfectly tailored to fit a specific space within the mix, and Forest Robots is all about channeling creativity in a very special way.

Dancing About Architecture

Interesting things happen when worlds collide. Sometimes the results are catastrophic and earth-shattering, sometimes they are unexpectedly compatible and beautiful. Forest Robots has always fallen into the latter category and this new album of electronic music used to describe the majesty of the natural world is no exception. Continuing where Super Moon Moonlight left off Timberline and Mountain Crest continues its mission to describe the world beyond the man-made in sweeping synth instrumentals, electro-classical grandeur and technological soundscapes.

The first single, Through The Trees and Into Wide Open Landscapes, tells you everything that you need to know from its title, its sublime ambience and its accompanying video. It is an unusual combination, such poeticism and appreciation of the natural world is normally the territory of acoustica and folk musicians or more dramatic classical composters but there is something wonderfully sublime in the groove-filled yet gentle sounds found here.

It reminds us that the world beyond our cities is as busy and connected as our own lives, from the smallest industrious hives of creatures to the weather systems that move through the world from the patient growth of plants and trees or the imperceptible movements of ice, water and stone. And somehow amongst the electronic cascades and the expansive sweeps, the ticking beats and the distant echoes, all of that is represented here. Even the name Forest Robots suggests the man-made world meeting the natural one. Brilliant, quite brilliant.

Skope Magazine

Forest Robots is an especially sci-fi-y name for a musical artist. Although Fran Dominguez (under the moniker Forest Robots) applies technologically advanced keyboard instruments to the ten tracks contained on the Timberline and Mountain Crest album, the inspiration for these instrumentals could not be more natural. In fact, it was nature – specifically the mountain range of the Sierra Nevada – that acted as the primary focus for this music.

There is another more human inspiration for these recordings as well, though. It’s Dominguez’s daughter. Dominguez calls his album a love letter to her, which extols the wonders of nature. Dominguez hopes these sounds, as well as accompanying photographs he’s taken of the region, will educate her on the big positives of being in nature, as well as working towards preserving it. It’s one thing for a man to love something; it’s quite another thing for a man to pass down his passions to his offspring. Timberline and Mountain Crest is Dominguez’s attempt to spread his love of nature down along the family line.

Wisely, these track names are written much like photograph titles.

The anthemic “Farewell Sudden Summer Storm Clouds” reads like someone watching a rare summertime rain shower disappear into the atmosphere. As you might have already guessed, the majority of these ten album tracks are also arranged like complete sentences. The shortest title of all is the two-worded “Sudden Bioluminescence.” This plucky synth piece sonically describes that biochemical emission of light by living organisms, which may include things like fireflies or deep-see fishes. Dominguez’s recording – with this one, as well as all the other album tracks – expresses awe at the sight of nature.

This awe of nature is like no other kind of awe. Sure, most people are wowed by the overpoweringly bright neon lights of Las Vegas the first time they visit that famous city. However, nature’s beauty has been described as a kind of church not made with hands. For the more spiritually inclined, nature reflects the hand of God. Nature has a beauty that mankind can only approximate, but never completely replicate.

With “Through the Trees and Into Wide Open Landscapes,” one feels like he/she is on a travelogue along with Dominguez. With its insistent rhythm and swirling echoes, it’s as though one is right there, walking through a forest of tall trees and marveling at the ancient majesty of it all.

Stylistically, one can draw comparisons between Forest Robots’ music and what was once termed New Age music. New Age was a really silly term, looking back at it in retrospect, because it was also a title applied to goofy religious movements. There’s nothing at all goofy, though, about what Forest Robots create. Instead, Dominguez is quite serious and sincere with his art, and the word ‘goofy’ might well be the last term one would ever use to describe it.

Much like appreciating nature, enjoying Forest Robots is a completely subjective endeavor. You either lock in emotionally to what he’s doing, or you don’t. Also, much like nature — even if this is not your thin — there’s hardly any denying its beauty. Fran Dominguez’s Forest Robots is a loving reaction to the natural beauty around him. Think of it as a sort of impressionist painting, only created with sounds.

Electro Wow Magazine

People believe they can achieve absolute relaxation through silence, nevertheless, the beauty of music produces the same effects, as will spending time outdoors. For instance, the ‘Timberline And Mountain Crest’ album from Forest Robots features a total of 10 tracks well-designed that connect your inner self with serene soundscapes. Just like his previous material, ‘Supermoon Moonlight, Pt. One’, the Electronic Music Producer, found inspiration in nature. To sum up, his last offering was born after a long hiking adventure in the mountains, and as the night came, the artist let himself be carried by his perception of the surroundings, where imagination played an important role over a period of 8 months. Perhaps, what makes this record different is the Synthwave feel to it while remaining his cinematic signature sound. On a daily basis, we’re dealing with stress, but Forest Robots’ melodies always work in the most difficult times. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Scroll down so that you can read my track-by-track review.

1 — Sudden Bioluminescence A unique sonic journey begins plenty of bright futuristic synths. Spacey instrumentals were masterfully executed till the end.

2 — Where The Wild Summer Storms Run At certain times, you will notice the second track is highly funky. It’s full of adrenaline over Chill Electronica, and of course, rhythmically complex.

3 — Through The Trees And Into Wide Open Landscapes The first single comes accompanied by some hypnotic visuals that make justice to the song. Eloquently melodic in essence, with some 8-bit video game sounds. It’s simply authentic.

4 — Between The Orange And Purple Horizon Still he continues to experiment on a new territory with the Synthwave/Chiptune style. While a dark atmosphere simultaneously gains prominence.

5 — Treading Where Others Have Perished I bet you feel the same way, this tune is too short. Despite this, I would describe it in just two words: eerie and spacey.

6 — As The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest Soothing calming piano chords + electronic music in the middle, makes it the best song off the album. It also allows you to close your eyes while your mind wanders so easily.

7 — On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon Surely, he knows how to magically build some tension in the ambiance but the cheery chimes and the use of retro sound effects give it a harmonious touch.

8 — Farewell Sudden Summer Storm Clouds At this point, I just realized there are a lot of similarities between Vangelis’ ambient music and Forest Robots. I’m talking about the Greek artist who produced the popular Blade Runner soundtrack back in the 80s.

9 — When Forest Leaves Begin To Change Beautiful in all its glory, nice futuristic beats, and good flow. Chill out as you imagine leaves changing its colors.

10 — It’s Quietest At The Edge Of The Crestline Predictably, Forest Robots opted for a cinematic ending, which is literally the quietest in comparison with the rest. Different and original, trust me, it will induce you in a state of trance!

The End.

Beach Sloth

Forest Robots crafts light and airy ambient electro pop with the pristine “Timberline and Mountain Crest”. Without saying a single word an entire journey unfolds one that feels so alive. Melodically rich Forest Robots make a grand balance of sound one where multiple layers intersect to create a dazzling psychedelic display. Everything simply works from the delicate touch of the percussion to the sweeping synthesizers. Drawing from gentle ambient works from the likes of Four Tet and Future Sound of London, there is something remarkably blissful about the entire adventure. Best of all the whole of the album comes together to form a singular unique mission statement one that serves as a celebration of the natural world.

Nicely opening everything the classical leanings of “As The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest” Forest Robots draws from the pure patience of Stars of the Lid’s carefully considered compositions. Bursting with energy in comparison “Between The Orange And Purple Horizon” opts for a woozy atmosphere. Mere wisps emerge on the soothing “It’s Quietest At The Edge Of The Crestline”. Neon hues appear on the late-night tact of “On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon”. Reminiscent of early electronic pioneers is the album highlight, the myriad maze of “Sudden Bioluminescence”. Going for a reflective ode is the spacious sounds of the aptly named “When Forest Leaves Begin To Change”. With a bubbly finale comes the joyous rush of “Where The Wild Summer Storms Run”.

With “Timberline and Mountain Crest” Forest Robots delves into a world shimmering in a grand array of tremendous colors.

Nataliez World

Forest Robots' most recent single "Through The Trees And Into Wide Open Landscapes", came from the album "Timberline and Mountain Crest". Upon it's release, the single was unlike any other style of music in and around popularity standards. This style of music was a combination of music genres actually, take electronic, ambient, R&B and orchestral. Not like orchestration as in a movie score but in similar tones. A lot of the tracks off this album, including this single is very much so instrumentally based content. It's like techno crossed with orchestra, that your imagination is put to full effectiveness as the music plays, everything aligns itself. In other words, the music sounds futuristic almost. Not really a style of choice for a club per say, but music to the comforting ears of a confined space perhaps.

A lot of the tracks, out of the 10 included on this album, are very different surprisingly enough. The single is very unique, whilst other tracks like "Sudden Bioluminescence", "Between The Orange And Purple Horizon", "On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon", and "When Forest Leaves egin To Change", are very much similar but still different in their own ways. Each of which, has this styling that sounds gloomy yet eerie as well, capturing this essence of forbidden. Or even maybe pop mixed with electronic to another level altogether. It is quite hard to place these tracks at times. But all in all though, together these array of tracks, just has a twisting feature that allows for the music to just be entrancing as a whole.

When it comes down to it, Forest Robot’s album “Timberline and Mountain Crest”, with it’s assortment of tunes, makes it be one of those albums you will not forget but adore. It’s uniqueness in music, will not just comfort you, but put you at ease with oneself and all else around you. Leaving you be breathless yet timid.

Music Industry News Network

Have you ever had a chance to listen to nature in its beauty? The idea for Forest Robots is one that began from an attempt to create a sound that will help people to relax like they are spending time on the mountains. Francisco Dominguez is the composer who is responsible for the music sound of the Forest Robots and drew a lot of inspiration from the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The aim of the album “Timberline and Mountain Crest” is to create a sound and collection of musical compositions that try to bring out the beauty of nature in its pure form, invoke emotions that you can feel when in tune with nature, just the way he felt when he was trying to teach his daughter about the importance of Mother Nature.

This ten-track album is made from electronic music and contains a lot of nice, vibrant synths that are implemented creatively in the first track “Sudden Bioluminescence.” This theme continues all through the album and despite the fact that there are no lyrics, Francisco makes a great attempt to make sure that most of the songs all sound different.

In some of the tracks that open the album, you get a good idea of how authentic the sound that Forest Robot creates really is. The tracks are relaxing and exciting in the same vein. You can just listen to the vibes and instruments and feel yourself going on a space adventure.

He changes gear in the other tracks later in the album (track 6 – As the sun rises between timberline and mountain crest) by introducing wonderful and dreamy piano chords married with electronic music at its best to produce a totally new sound that is inspiring. You can just let your mind take you to places that you like and just relax in the moment. The last song on the album is quite dramatic and is actually the most quiet song on the album just like the name implies. Again, the originality and uniqueness of what Francisco tried to accomplish comes to mind again and you feel yourself just drifting away beautifully without a care in the world.

Francisco’s second album shows how much he has grown and how impressively sound can be used to create a surreal bond with nature through the use of electronic and symphonic musical arrangements. The sound is unique and futuristic and can help you relax your mind in the most surprising of ways.

Music Existence

I immediately am drawn to the theme and inspiration behind the new album and that is love of nature and love for a daughter. Forest Robots is one man by the name of Francisco Dominguez and he urges people to respect Mother Nature and to just simply enjoy being outdoors on the new project. The roots of ‘Timberline and Mountain Crest’ are the mountain range of the Sierra Nevada and also the birth of Francisco’s daughter. Forest Robots has laid the foundation with 10 earthy, organic seeds sprouting up and now it has all grown into a great, big ‘Timberline and Mountain Crest’.

As soon as I hit Play, a cool breeze rushes over me with crisp, electronic goodness & supersonic forestry hitting me from all directions on “Sudden Bioluminescence”. On tracks two & four, “Where The Wild Summer Storms Run” and “Between The Orange And Purple Horizon”, one will hear funky synth mania while entering a dimension that is equipped with wild, Forest Robots roaming uncharted lands. Song three, “Through The Trees And Into Wide Open Landscapes”, is as vast as it sounds inviting the listener to discover this majestic world and wondrous surrounding. Track six, “As The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest”, offers a calming, meditative effect and tranquil vibe that will leave you deep in thought while picturing a sublime sunrise over the magnificent mountain setting. The listener will be exploring new structures, platforms, landmarks and elements “On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon” where everything is fresh & free-flowing. Track nine, “When Forest Leaves Begin To Change”, will transport you into another realm full of ever-changing chords that engulf you and your eardrums. The final number, “It’s Quietest At The Edge Of The Crestline”, will leave you with a soothing sensation in a world full of endless daydreaming and soul-cleansing.

This is the second, full-length record for Forest Robots and I must say that ‘Timberline and Mountain Crest’ is blooming and quite fruitful. There is a charming ambiance in place here where Forest Robots produces electronic grooves that will make you move and think. It’s all about family and preserving nature on ‘Timberline and Mountain Crest’ and these musical crops are now ripe and in season.

Indie Music Plus

Based out of Los Angeles, Forest Robots is not politically driven, but rather nature driven. Musical Machinist Fran Dominguez creates electronic soundscapes in an effort to widen people’s sound palettes and their connection with nature. The newest album, Timberline And Mountain Crest, demonstrates more heightened synth-wave exploration than the previous album, Supermoon Moonlight, Pt. 1.

“Sudden Bioluminescence” starts off the album with a washy synthetic jigsaw puzzle, adding new information as the song continues to keep the listener intrigued. The music is reflective of a dark night landscape and neon lights emerging from the shadows in a beautiful chorus. Although purely instrumental, the various electronic textures act as voices throughout. Forest Robots is great at combining elements of film scoring into to the music to invoke emotional responses like walking through a bright and sunshiny daydream or a dark forest.

“Through The Trees And Into Wide Open Landscapes” begins with a bright almost nasally synth arpeggio, a pulsing bass synth introducing itself shortly after. One’s head gets lost in the groove for a while until it finally all fizzles out into an ethereal haze. Yet just as the listener thinks the song is over, the haze repeats in a swirl of rather haunting shimmers and distant whistles.

Following the previous track is a very eclectic piece called “Between The Orange And Purple Horizon.” Aptly named, the song involves bright twinkly bell tones and a Theremin-like sound that evoke a futuristic mood with creepy alien undertones. While the songs are meant to be slightly transcendent, this song is an example of how Forest Robots builds up a lot of tension but never really reaches the expected climax. However, instead of returning back to safe territory from the beginning, Forest Robots is otherwise good at continually adding new information.

Quieter than the other songs, “As The Sun Rises Between Timberland And Mountain Crest” offers a simple and tender foil to the rest of the tracks on the album. A ghostly piano plays a beautiful yet slightly melancholy melody, delicately dangling in the air like a whisper in your ear. The title track to the album is attention grabbing like a sunset, where you just can’t look away, every moment of it surreal and beautiful.

Finally we get the climax we’ve been waiting for in “When Forest Leaves Begin To Change.” Starting off tranquil and transcendent, the bright synths and electronic hip-hop beats work their way through a maze like the inside of a mind as it’s working through life’s changes, transforming as each next experience unfolds. Everything eventually culminates into an electronic breakdown, suddenly dissipating into thin air just as mysteriously as it all developed.

In its new album, “Timberline And Mountain Crest,” Forest Robots uses a strong blend of electronic and orchestral sounds to metaphorically reflect the embrace of mixing old traditions with new innovations, inspiring listeners to preserve the past while conserving the planet for the future. Every song on this album takes the listener on an electronic and natural sonic journey full of meditative and irresistible dance beats.

Stepkid Magazine

Forest Robots is the musical project of Francisco Dominquez. He describes the endeavor as being a “letter to his daughter about the wonders of nature.” The name “Forest Robots” itself offers a clue as to the nature of the sound of his latest album release titled Timberline and Mountain Crest. What’s immediately notable about the music here is that it strives to capture the spirit of the outdoors while not conforming to stereotypical tropes of what we’ve come to expect with “nature” music. Instead of the cliche, serene meditation music, wind instruments, and other bromides that one commonly encounters while perusing the tarot card section of an incense filled, New Age bookstore, we’re treated to futuristic synths and some genuinely stimulating ambiance. What “Forest Robots” seems to be telling us here is that the wonders of the outdoors are every bit as exciting (if not more so) as the latest smart phone technology that’s at your fingertips.

In fact, the opening track, Sudden Bioluminescence sounds more like something you’d hear in a dystopian, John Carpenter science fiction film than what one would expect to be listening to on an office nature retreat. From my perspective, that is a very refreshing development. Another excellent example of this is On A Desolate Shore Under A Full Moon, which is subtly dark and captivating. It could even be considered a low-key dance track. The closest to a familiar kind of sound associated with outdoors on the album is the open and eloquent The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest, a song that embodies the quietness of the morning. The album covers all its bases and leaves the listener with a complete experience. The juxtaposition of the natural world with what is typically deemed futuristic music is a poignant concoction in that it provokes the listener to think of parks and public lands not as a weekend getaway or relic of the past to be appreciated, but something which should be thought of as an integral part of an exciting future.

FV Reviews

Prolific songwriter Forest Robots is releasing his second album in 8 months. ‘Timberline and Mountain Crest’ is a collection of songs which are designed to connect the listener to nature. With added elements of electronic and R&B, ‘Timberline and Mountain Crest’ is an extremely special offering.

‘Timberline and Mountain Crest’ is comprised of 10 tracks and opens with the song, ‘Where The Wild Summer Storms Run’. It is an atmospheric beginning with swirling synths starting the layers of instrumentation which create texture and charming character. We also hear intricate beats on this song. They are full of substance and quality which drives the melody along.

We adored the song, ‘As The Sun Rises Between Timberline And Mountain Crest’. It opens with silence which fades to a gorgeous solo piano with then the further addition of gentle strings in the background. It is a subdued number which is juxtaposed to what we have heard previously. The double bass is stunning and as the song progresses, the strings add a mysterious element. We could easily hear this song being used as placement in TV, film or games. A truly beautiful piece.

Other highlights include, ‘Between The Orange And Purple Horizon’. This song is so clever in its composition. Somehow, Forest Robots has managed to get the listener to see the colours in the music. When listening, the listener is able to fully relax and let their imagination run free. The song features a double kick which feels like a heartbeat and it fuels the groove wonderfully.

‘Farewell Sudden Summer Storm Clouds’ has a strong nature element and feels like the beginning of spring/summer. The synths have melodies in a major key which add to the happy, new beginning vibe.

The closing song, ‘ It’s Quietest At The Edge Of The Crestline’ again has strong links to nature. Wind and sea noises fill the audio landscape from the beginning and the recognizable synths slowly fade in. It is gentle, peaceful in tone and feels like the beginning of a new day.