By the time of Forever Alien, Sonic Boom gained a particular interest in older modular synthesizers, which had increasingly found underground favor among such simpatico acts like Stereolab, who he had already collaborated with. The resulting album was a complete abandonment of a rock band setup in favor of layers of experimentation with such instruments — “Delia Derbyshire” is a notable salute — with his voice and lyrical bent helping provide a more conventional focus on songs like “Feels Like I’m Slipping Away” and “The New Atlantis.”