Recorded between 2012-2014, Jared Blum’s (of GiganteSound, The Talking Book, Blanketship, Vulcanus 68, et al.) Vision Heat project is a laser guided, hyper vintage conflation of early to mid 80’s centric production, montage and style. Recalling such luminaries as Tangerine Dream, John Carpenter, Harold Faltemeyer, Craig Safan and such lofty houses as KPM, Bruton and Parry with nods to oddballs from Russia and the Eastern Bloc, Blum still manages to be forcefully yet effortlessly unique. Inspired by countless soundtrack compilations and blog mixes of rare, foreign library and VHS music, Vision Heat varies in production style and technique as if it were the definitive archive - deftly genre skipping from moody sci-fi suspense, incidental queues and dramatic scores to uplifting electro-boogie, synthpop and cinematic arrangements. Ultimately so much more than an homage, The Chosen Themes are a subtle and skilled conjuring of a full spectrum re-imagined past. Part two of a two volume set.
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Juno Records review
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and Maxwell August Croy's Root Strata present this retro inspired imaginary soundtrack, by the Vision Heat project of California-based musician Jared Blum. Said to be "inspired by countless soundtrack compilations and blog mixes of rare, foreign library and VHS music" as well as John Carpenter (naturally!) and Tangerine Dream. There's twenty odd tracks on offer here but they're all quite short, clocking in or around the three minute mark and all appropriate for various scenes. There's the beatless instrumentals for the rolling of the credits ("Vision Heat Logotone #2, "Manhunter"), moments of suspense ("Tonight's The Night", "Final Flight Excerpts 1-4") and of course the love scenes ("A Delicate Love" or "In Cab Reflections"). But it's the scenes at the disco that some might enjoy the most, such as the cheesy and funky "Beatin' The Heat On The Street", the Giorgio Moroder style cosmic disco of "Patrick's Theme" or the rebellious synthpop of "Slogovia's Theme". An impressive and convincing homage to a decade of decadence.
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Boomkat Online Review
Root Strata had the pleasure of picking out 18 pieces for 'The Chosen Themes - Program II', ranging from hi-NRG adrenalizers to ominous 'ludes and swanky electro-disco showcasing Blum's remarkable breadth of styles and a carefully assembled aesthetic wisely nodding to the likes of Carpenter/Howarth, Goblin's Claudio Simonetti, Klaus Schulze, Harold Faltemeyer and those other guys who scored your adolescent nightmares and semi-illicit VHS thrills.

Your studio-master, Jared Blum hails from San Francisco and therefore it's understandable his take on this era is infected with a glitzy pomp and FM power jam appeal safely compared with the Parry Music Library set on Public Information, perhaps as opposed to the proggy UK/European strains dug by Andy Votel and Sean Canty or even faked by Norm Chambers (Panabrite) for his 'Science of the Sea' hoodwink.

However, to all but the trained connoisseur, for all intents and purposes these could quite conceivably soundtrack hammy car chases or ratchet the tension of some horror filmed in an old gothic pile. RIYL Pye Corner Audio, John Carpenter, Finders Keepers, Steve Moore, Umberto, Anton Maiovvi.

Released on LP by Root Strata
Edition of 300