ECHO MENSA

"The carefully structured songs draw upon various sources of inspiration, but the primary theme of down-tempo, chill, and electronic new age music shines through on every note. Moreover, the nearly one-hour length and wholly instrumental set of songs allows the sounds to effervesce with interstellar delight. The creative songs seem to strike a perfect balance between tone, rhythm, and melody without reverting to meaningless and mindless beats. In short, Echo Mensa fills a ‘rift’ in the contemporary instrumental music of today with a fine display of musical talent. Even though Echo Mensa is named after Jupiter's’s moon Io, it is still relevant for planet Earth. Rift is one of the best electronic albums of the last ten years. Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)."

Matthew Forss - Inside World Music

"The album’s compositions are birthed from constant sonic juxtaposition and repetitive motion, adding and removing elements from each song in order to create different harmonic variables. Electronica lies at the heart of this release, coursing synthesized arrangements through its bloodstream and pouring it into an instrumental pop music structure. 'The Pipe' exudes an ominous presence through its heavily layered synths. There’s a clash of new age hopefulness and industrial cynicism on 'The Last Beginning' that makes it one of the best examples of aural combinations that Rift attempts to convey. The splashes of acoustic guitar on 'Omega' are highly addictive and provide an ample focal point as light percussion taps and ambient washes play in the background. 'Today' is the head-nodding pick of the disc with guitar plucks that bop their way over a hip-hop rhythm and prolonged organ beds. 'Pad' closes the album with a foot-stomping beat to end the affair on a danceable note."

Jason Randell Smith - Impose Magazine