Melody’s Echo Chamber Ascends with ‘Unclouded’: A Dreamy Psychedelic Revival

Explore how Melody’s Echo Chamber blends ethereal soundscapes with fresh rhythms on her latest album, Unclouded.

A Sonic Journey Starts Anew

For over a decade, Melody Prochet’s music has unfolded like a hazy dream — the kind where words melt into textures and emotions shimmer through a veil of mist. With Unclouded, her fourth album as Melody’s Echo Chamber and third under Domino Records, that signature dreamlike aura remains intact but takes on a new dimension. This time, Swedish producer and songwriter Sven Wunder steps in, best known for crafting lush psych-jazz atmospheres in his own stellar catalog.

Wunder’s magic lies in grounding Prochet’s pastel-toned universe with something you can almost feel under your fingertips: crisp breakbeats, supple bass lines, and strings that flex and breathe like muscle rather than evaporate like vapor. It’s a subtle but powerful evolution that makes this album feel both floating and firmly rooted.

The Pulse of Rhythm as Storyteller

Right from the opening track, “The House That Doesn’t Exist,” the rhythm section tells half the story. Love Örsan wields the bass like a heartbeat, while Malcolm Catto — a legend from the Heliocentrics — drives the drums with a groove so alive, it paints a home not of brick and mortar but of movement and soul. Prochet’s voice drifts atop this foundation, crafting a sanctuary built from pulse and breath rather than stone.

Then “In the Stars” arrives with Wunder’s unmistakable touch: gliding strings, boom-bap beats, and a melody that twirls between melancholy and joy. The lyric “finding a place I can call mine” hits harder here because the music itself feels like that place — a shimmering, tangible destination in sound.

More sonic explorations by Melody's Echo Chamber and Sven Wunder:

• Melody’s Echo Chamber Sees ‘Stars’
• Sven Wunder Summons The Sublime On ‘Daybreak’
• Sven Wunder Suits Up For First U.S. Tour

A Vibe That Moves and Breathes

What makes Unclouded so captivating is how it makes the intangible feel corporeal. Tracks like “Eyes Closed” and “Childhood Dream” surge with frenetic drumming and a bubbling bassline, tracing that delicate dance between control and surrender. Listening, you might imagine yourself on a whimsical chocolate mushroom trip along the sun-drenched French Riviera — a surreal blend of excitement and ease.

Even when “Burning Man” cloaks its drums in muffled echoes, as though playing from a distant closet, the music refuses to stall. Keyboard glissandos and a soulful flute solo by Per “Texas” Johansson lift the track on a gentle, heavenward arc.

Clarity in the Psychedelic Haze

There’s always been mystery at the core of Prochet’s work, but Unclouded reimagines that mystery not as distance but transformation. It shows us how clarity and psychedelia can coexist, how a groove can bring sharp focus to emotion rather than blur it. Wunder’s elegant, heartfelt arrangements are the backbone to this revelation, turning Prochet’s once-opaque lyrics about impermanence and renewal into vivid reflections, illuminated by rhythm itself.

Present in the Flux

As the album drifts toward its closing moments with the Stereolab-inspired “Broken Roses” and the steadfast “How To Leave Misery Behind” — where Prochet softly pleads, “please be kind” — it feels like a triumphant mastery of staying present in flux. She doesn’t float above the blur any longer; she dances in it, grounded and alive. Throughout Unclouded, the music breathes, emotions land softly, and the unpredictable nature of life becomes a little clearer, a little warmer.

“By the time the album winds down… Prochet has seemingly mastered the art of staying present inside the flux and dancing within the blur instead of floating above it.”

• What makes ‘Unclouded’ different from previous Melody’s Echo Chamber albums?
  The album introduces Swedish producer Sven Wunder, whose breakbeats and bass lines add a tactile, rhythmic foundation to Prochet’s ethereal style.
• Who contributed to the rhythm section on this album?
  Bassist Love Örsan and drummer Malcolm Catto from the Heliocentrics bring a dynamic groove that shapes much of the album’s sound.
• Are there any notable instrumental solos on the album?
  Yes, Per “Texas” Johansson’s flute solo on “Burning Man” stands out, elevating the track’s dreamy ascent.
• How does the album balance psychedelia with clarity?
  Wunder’s arrangements sharpen emotional focus, allowing Prochet’s lyrics to shine through the psychedelic textures with new clarity.
• What themes does Prochet explore in ‘Unclouded’?
  Themes of impermanence, renewal, and finding presence amidst change run throughout the album, creating a deeply personal and universal narrative.

If you’ve been moved by the visual and sonic story of Unclouded, why not bring a piece of that magic into your own space? Shop your favorite album cover poster at our store for a perfect blend of art and music that keeps the spirit alive. Shop now.