[4] The production's stage was inspired by Italian writer Italo Calvino's post-modern novel Invisible Cities (1972), which was written as a string of conversations between Kublai Khan and Marco Polo.

[7] In The Line of Best Fit, Ray Honeybourne described the album as a "recognisable wide-angle instrumental soundscape" that incorporated "some intelligently-arranged vocal elements at key points, serving well to convey contrast and dramatic effects arising out of Marco Polo's verbal images.

"[9] Pitchfork's Brian Howe believed that the album established the neoclassical-ambient template of the duo, being accompanied by "wide, spreading basses on the bottom, distorted melodies sharply etching the high end, and soft harmonies shifting in the abyssal middle.

"[5] Paul Simpson of AllMusic lauded the experimental music and instrumental production, and felt the record stood out "even without the choreography and high-res video projections".

"[10] PopMatters writer Chris Ingalls praised the album as an "inspiring" and "invigorating" experience but felt that it lacked the "frenetic pace" needed to accompany such a collection of compositions.