An ‘older’ release, but who cares?...
Acoustics Of Shadows is a collaborative work of two persons who do know each-other well (no further comment), yet above all, it’s a mutual work by two beautiful, sympathetic people with a cool vision of / on sonic finesse. Both Oleg and Sasha are known for their subtle yet intriguing recordings, and this mutually recorded effort strengthens their connection.
Just for your information 1: both mastering and (stunning) artwork (plus video) have been taken care of by Cryo Chamber’s minister Simon Heath;
Just for your information 2: six-panel digipack (yet limited to 300 copies!) and digital;
Just for your information 3: an album divided into eight chapters, having a total duration of more than forty-six minutes;
Just for your information 4: wet reverbs and airy overtones combine for a rich album of astral elements rooted in dark ambience…
With Avalanche, Sasha and Oleg start a journey of purest beauty, of purest vastness, of purest purity. Calm, even intimate harmonies float by, soft yet resolute, slowly expanding into immeasurable proportions. Despite the unphysical identity, one does feel the gentle caresses of sound, sweetly touching the listener’s soul. Step by step, things seem to grow, by subtly adding other sounds (field-recorded) and extra layers of keyboard-based effort. It creates some sacral feeling somehow, veiled in mystique and enigma.
Throughout the whole album, moments of introspection, wonder, apprehension, intrigue, awe, fragility and vulnerability permanently interact. The sonic basic is build around mesmeric and damp coatings of synth-textures, being generous in nature despite the intrinsic tranquility. This gets smartly penetrated by fine-tuned electronics, subtly-used sampling (elements of nature, crackles, voices, shore waves), obscure, sometimes even haunting drone-waves, transcendental and ethereal soundscapes, and immersive strings. It teases, even defies, the listener’s delicate imagination, for Acoustics Of Shadows almost literally accompanies us through immense realms of concept and notion. Take Loud World, for instance, that is as effective as it is short (less than three minutes of duration) with its rich and efficacious collection of loops, waves and sounds. The analysis of Out Of Harms Way too reveals a hidden world of sonic treasury, with shady hints of Post-Rock, Industrial and New Age, gathered into a monumental expedition of discovery and hypnosis. Or above-mentioned opener Avalanche, which immediately delves deep into a weightless void of trans-meditative finesse. Or Holographic Wind, touching darker territories of the mind, trespassing the hidden portals into gloomy realms of abandoned universes. Or…
It would bring me too far to have all compositions dissected, but this might give a glimpse of what this album stands for. Bottomline: Acoustics Of Shadows demonstrates the lush result of the longtime partnership by both artists involved. The title of the album, by the way, strengthens the spiritual expansion behind the aural artistry. Both ‘acoustics’ and ‘shadows’ cover the content, for this recording defines the essence of sonic craft within a nebulous veil (or something like that…).
https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/album/acoustics-of-shadows
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/alphaxone-dronny-darko
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/dronny-darko-ajna
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/alphaxone-protou
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/alphaxone-protou-0
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/protou-1
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/protou-0
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/protou
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/cryo-chamber-collaboration
https://dronnydarko.bandcamp.com/music