An album release from xtort delivers a refreshing but classic blend of electronic soundscapes that take elements of industrial, new wave, dream pop, and so much more to create what I would consider being a sort of sci-fi cinematic atmosphere, and it works like a charm because they use such an extensive array of synth and key sounds that bring back and almost vintage soundscape.
The ZWART album wastes no time and definitely gets right into their world and part of that is that classic synth tonality that gives me more than a few bouts of nostalgia which is something that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside however, there are different approaches to how they do their thing and it all comes through with a lot of attention to detail but also a robust character that sticks strong throughout the release.
The keys and synth sounds chosen to put this record together play a massive part and how the whole thing came through, but it also has heart and tells these stories in a strange way which I find very intriguing.
The reason I mention the record sounding cinematic at times is because although the songs feel like they connect with each other, they all vary in little ways and so, again, some of them have a much vaster undertone and let you sort of float alongside these ambient synth pads that stretch the span of entire songs and float through the ether giving them depth.
Other tracks give that more industrial sound with a harder Edge and different kinds of tones, but they all have a glue that makes the record very confluent and forward moving.
You can tell that this is a project that is inspired by a sort of gothic nuance and that shines through with a lot of these songs but it's not overdone just like the music itself everything is very well balanced dynamically and so the songs that have more edginess come through with a drive while the songs that are more laid back, feel like they surround you and you can get engulfed in them.
This was a great escape which is not something you come across often so when it happens it's very refreshing and almost rejuvenating in a way.
When you listen to this album, you are pulled away from your surroundings and put into this whole other world for a little chunk of time and that to me is a gift in music altogether.
You can tell this project is done with a heart in the recording studio and whoever's working on it is at their best when they are in their bubble making music with no walls around them and no world to tend to.
This was quite addicting, and when the record's over you have to reacclimate yourself back to reality again.
This is one of those albums that you need to listen to from beginning to end, all the way through because if you don't, you're not getting the full spectrum of what this album actually has to offer.
Listening to only one or two tracks from this release won't do it.
There are singles that stand out to me but this is a piece that's meant to be listened to in full and I suggest doing so with headphones on so you can just soak in all the notes and the textures happening in the songs.
A very well-woven release with soul and story in its underbelly, a little darkness, a little edginess, and a lot of cinematic backbone, listen to this album when you get a chance and see how it affects you.
Comentários