Kevin Moore's unexpected departure from Dream Theater in 1994 apparently gave him the freedom he needed to begin recording his own music as the head honcho of a new outfit, called Chroma Key, most of which is pretty interesting. Their first record was released in 1998 and, as you may have guessed, is called Dead Air for Radios. Beginning the Kevin Moore tradition of mixing genres less-than-seamlessly, it's basically a couple of laid-back electro-pop songs (think Peter Gabriel but more "chill" and less David Byrne-y) nestled among some pretty cool pieces built around interviews Moore recorded himself while living in Santa Fe and some strange random found-sounds.
It starts slow, but if you're willing to follow along here Dead Air turns out to be a pretty solid little album. If you're annoyed by the lack of commitment to either full-on synth pop or whacked out samples with drum loops over them, Kevin Moore isn't for you, especially once you hear me tell you (or is it see me write to you? Both I think) that his next album is more of the same.
Released in the far off year of 2000, You Go Now is basically Dead Air for Radios songs that fermented in Moore's head for a bit longer -- as a result this is a very iterative album. The pop songs are sharper and the spaced-out ones are more trippy, bro. If you've got a seat on the Kevin train then you'll eat this shit up, otherwise look elsewhere.
Chroma Key's most "recent" release and definitely the most high-concept one (also maybe coincidentally the last?), Graveyard Mountain Home is the soundtrack to a 1955 film slowed down to 1/2 speed. You're supposed to be able to enjoy the music without the movie, but that seems about as fun and logical as drinking non-alcoholic beer. This one is only for those in first class on the Kevin train.
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