Ikarus - Mosaismic - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

W. his Trio, feat. Chuck Berghofer, Nick Martinis 1995.

In Greek, plasma is defined as a malleable substance. It's what stars are made of. When lightning strikes, plasma is created. In essence, it's matter in a high energy state. Poetically speaking, however, it's something akin to nature's special effects, i. e., it's what makes beautiful, magical things transpire; whether it's the seemingly infinite spray of fire suspended out in space or the flickering, buzzing, multi-colored signs cluttering a narrow side-street in Hong Kong. On their fourth full-length record, Ikarus turns their attention towards what is officially considered the fourth state of matter, hence the title Plasma. Plasma marks a major shift for the band-away from the sonically InchimmersiveInch and towards an almost tactile, physical quality of sound the type that is associated with functional electronica. This is also Ikarus at their most affecting, playful, and fluent. There's a lot of latent hope found in these compositions, and the turns are wild! Their rhythmic and harmonic equations are as complex as ever-on Altaelva the time signature changes from 7/4to 6/4 to 5/4 respectively-but their delivery is marked by a lightness and infused with a spectral gradient of emotion.

The first full-length from Cleveland's Disintegration brings their intricate circuitry of nocturnal synthwave and noise-saturated post-punk to a new plateau. Sharper, leaner, and more involved than the material on their first EP, Shiver in a Weak Light is a huge step forward in terms of production, atmosphere, and overall construction, with singer/synthesist Haley Himiko turning in stellar vocal performances, guitarist/vocalist Noah Anthony and bassist Christopher Brown moving in lockstep, and new drummer David MacCluskie adding clatter and thump to the gridded framework the band architects and then dismantles on every song. The album roves between shadowy dream sequences and slow-motion shatter, drawing a dark and futuristic sound that's sometimes familiar, sometimes confounding, but always captivating.Listening closely to the web of sounds on InchIn Your DiaryInch reveals a series of unlikely turns and transitions; like the brittle guitar line that arrives out of nowhere to lace up a propulsive chorus, the nearly subliminal hits of percussion that move throughout the stereo field, and a song structure that jumps between it's parts in unexpected ways, always landing on a new hook. InchHideawayInch connects it's fragmented sections in a perfect balance of dissonant chaos and shout-along melodies. Live bass and guitar parts are processed until they sound more like alien synth programming, with choppy rhythms bouncing like sequenced ones and zeroes. Each repeated listen to Shiver in a Weak Light unlocks a new room of sounds and ideas that may have gone unnoticed the time before. It's an album that beckons the listener to trek ever deeper into it's network of neon hallways and interconnected underground tunnels, exploring a world where it's always night and time moves differently.