Enigmatic musician Victoria Carmilla Hazamaze has a few monikers out there. This latest is under the name BLITZAR IV, and her 2023 album is titled "Ayla." It has six songs. "Hipernova" is first. Dreamy, ethereal tones open the song, and the sound is expansive, like the universe in many ways. Her voice is soothing, and although the music picks up in sonority, vocal screams, and even some spacy keyboards, delicate melodies remain at the core of the song. The production is somewhat muted so that the album holds pastel sounds.

"Ayla" has simultaneous whimsical sounds plus hardened elements in the background. Keyboards build tension, and ominous vocal chants are the glue that holds it all together. Harsh vocals enter, followed by creamy keyboards, and the song becomes locked in a battle of good and evil. Who wins? You decide. "Aurora" is much gentler, with refined keyboard notes in the beginning, giving you the sense of the grandiosity of the universe. Harsh vocals, by contrast, remind you that it is an unexplored landscape of infinity, and much of it is dangerous.

"Blossom" is the flower that grows without roots, a short anomaly. "Orion" is the great hunter in the sky, a constellation with strength and mystery. It travels several paths...some standard while others make their own footsteps. Through it all, beauty and amazement remain constant. "Lua" closes the album. A sense of calm, warmth, and reassurance passes over you. The piano notes are simple, but elegant. Maybe the universe isn't so scary after all. I don't know what it means, but it is a gorgeous song. As it fades to completion, you can't help to smile.

This album was outstanding. It took me on a journey through the stars, and the heavens, and gave me pause to ponder things like my place in this world, and my true meaning. The album cover is a naturally occurring thing in space; a collection of gases and stardust that forms something so wondrous that almost seems impossible. Gaze into its mysteries, and let it be your guide in life.