“On his first album Bakis Sirros already knew how to separate darkness from haunted melodies”
1 Beneath Fear 6:06
2 Different Pathways 5:18
3 Empty Human Cells 3:38
4 Increasing Complexity 5:52
5 Into the Caves of the Mind 4:50
6 Interlude 2:09
7 Reflective 9:32
8 Mindmists 8:49
9 Pale Yellow Sky 5:42
10 Distracted 6:57
11 Crying Spells 4:15
(DDL 63:04) (V.F.)
(Dark Ambient, Berlin School)
A dark, buzzing sound wave is skipping in the opening of Beneath Fear. A variegated intro that lets emerge a fine strummed melody, frozen in a dense sound fauna. This sweet melody shares its harmonies with a cloud of tones as much varied as fear can have reasons; flutes, whistling synth with a melodious theme, hopping and jerky percussions in a light and gloomy ambience. If the rhythm is of equal appearance, it becomes more implosive at the very end, hammering it with the force of dread. Interesting? Really! Parallel Worlds is the name that the musician of Greek origin Bakis Sirros chose to present us his astonishing OBSESSIVE SURREALISM; the perfect fusion between EM and Electronica. A universe of rich sound textures and confusing rhythms that blend perfectly with the sound effects and the meticulously dosed samplings of Bakis Sirros. This defender of analogous sounds thus creates an extraordinary effect of richness and juxtaposed dimensions, like in a parallel world, which amazes and which changes a lot of data in a musical world where the sound machines have no borders.
This gives additional special effects on tracks like Different Pathways and the aggressive Into the Caves of the Mind where the candid main lines are absorbed by sound effects that overlap with an opposite rhythm. An incredible and subtle mix, as if my invisible clone would walk in front of me and absorb me in the process… I blend in with him and follow his forms. You get the picture! Quite awesome. These strokes of genius abound on OBSESSIVE SURREALISM which is another production of the excellent DiN label which specializes in Contemporary Electronic Music. With its vaporous gas jets, Empty Human Cells presents a static intro. Gradually a circular rhythm sets in and is supported by a misshapen bass and percussive sound effects which flutter, while the ambiences become intriguing, on short symphonic strata. With a title as striking as Increasing Complexity, one expects an insane whirlwind. But we are entitled to a little island beat with xylophonist percussions. The beauty of the title is this line of crazy electronic percussions which is grafted to a heavy and slow rhythm to awaken the senses of Reflective. Slow like a hypnotic pulse, the rhythm clings to a round sequence. It oscillates through layers which float gently on an increasingly hopping sequence. A strange waterfall, under a bed of violins' layers, crosses this startling movement which takes on the form of undulating jazz with very effective percussions. While Mindmists makes us visit the corridors as deviant as Empty Human Cells, although the rhythms have more variances here, Pale Yellow Sky offers us a good piano/cello encounter, in a lounge atmosphere and its amplified percussions. The rhythm is solitary and sculpted around sound effects and samples. Aggressive and tasty Distracted hits us full strength with a heavy electronic approach, a bit like if ['ramp] would have conformed to Electronica. A powerful track with absolute electronic effervescence in a heavy ambience, bordering Mark Shreeve and ['ramp]. Not letting go of a breath, Crying Spells looks like its title. An intense paranoid bolero with forbidding choirs on Luciferian pulsations!
Quite an opus! From the first to the last chord, we are amazed by the musical approach of Parallel Worlds on OBSESSIVE SURREALISM, which makes on me the same impact as Brian Eno on Nerve Net. From everywhere, samplings and sound effects line the 63 minutes of this unforgettable album.
Sylvain Lupari (March 23rd, 2007) ****¼*
Available at DiN Bandcamp