Drone Records

SPHYXION - 3

Format: CD

Label & Cat.Number: Zoharum ZOHAR 243-1

Release Year: 2021

Note: SPHYXION, the electronic side- or second project of the MANINKARI brothers from Paris, is back with the third album: flowing instrumental synth wave with influences from 70's Berlin or cosmic school but also from 80's New Wave sound, all in all very subtle and harmonic, and nostalgic... - "Despite the fact that the material follows the synthwave convention, it still carries a lot of plasticity, inherent in the richness of sounds, from many intricately woven from scraps of melodies ornaments." - 300 copies

Price (incl. 19% VAT): €12.00

More Info

Sphyxion returns with a second studio album for Zoharum and a third studio album at all. The musicians develop their own minimal synthwave formula, introducing it into completely new sound areas. This electronic incarnation of brothers Frederic and Olivier Charlot is a peculiar development of the musical formula of the Maninkari project (the main formation of the Charlot brothers), enriching it with a slightly mechanical, stronger, constantly pulsating rhythm. Despite the fact that the material follows the synthwave convention, it still carries a lot of plasticity, inherent in the richness of sounds, from many intricately woven from scraps of melodies ornaments. They create an atmosphere that evocatively affects the imagination of the listener by combining consciously the classical instruments and electronics in their own way. The musicians could have acquired that illustrative nature of their works both from their academic education and considerably rich experience gained e.g. while working on sounding theatrical performances or composing movie scores. CD folded in six-panel ecopack and limited to 300 copies

https://zoharum.bandcamp.com/album/3

"The final new release is by the French brothers Frederic and Olivier Charlot. They also work as Maninkari. '3' is their release as Sphyxion. Their music is all electronic here, whereas Maninkari, which one could see as their main project, is all about rhythm and percussion. In both projects, atmospheres play an essential role. I have no idea what kind of electronics they use to create the music here. It might be all old and rusty analogue synthesizers, but for all I know (and, honestly, care), this might be stuff programmed in Ableton Live. As ever, I care about the result. Sphyxion plays mood music, and they do a pretty solid job at that. Their second CD reminded me at times of the early Biosphere, which is still a reference I'd like to make. The neat bounce of a sequencer that never fully goes into a full-on dance modus is never far away here. There is always a fine touch of melody in there somewhere, even when it is buried beneath an industrial dirge (in the opening piece; all are untitled). Throughout, there is an impressive amount of variation in these pieces, from that louder opening to an introspective '3' and ghostly nighttime drive of '4'. Occasionally, a voice pops up ('7'), adding a further dimension to the music. I found all of this very good, and I think quite a step forward from the previous album." [FdW / Vital Weekly]

https://zoharum.bandcamp.com/album/3