27 December 2022: Karfagen; Parallel Worlds; Unexplained Sounds Group 8th Annual Report

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Karfagen — Ukrainian art rock band formed in 2006 by songwriter, architect and designer Antony Kalugin from Kharkiv, Ukraine. The music of Karfagen is mostly instrumental and combine elements of progressive rock, art rock and symphonic rock. Almost all songs and concepts of the band created by Antony Kalugin himself.[1]. By the end of 2018 band released nine albums and participated several European progressive rock festivals. The band don't have a constant line-up although since 2006 a lot of musicians from Ukraine and all around the world played there as a session musicians. Karfagen is mainly an instrumental band that shows imaginative use of keyboards, guitars, classical and ethnic instruments. Their music has strong connections and references to the music of the other Antony Kalugin projects — Hoggwash and Sunchild. According to Antony, the music of Karfagen is created under the influence of Camel, Genesis, UK, Pink Floyd and The Flower Kings among other art rock bands[2]

Review by apps79
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Ukraine-based band KARFAGEN is a somewhat personal best of young composer/keyboardist Antony Kalugin,who founded this project in 1997 (at the age of 16!),being himself a student at school.Before the turn of the millenium he started writing material for the first KARFAGEN album and actually the band played a few gigs as well,before they were put on ice with Kalugin following a personal career,mostly composing and participating on new-age albums.By mid- 00's Antony had been a self-employed musician,so he gave birth to his former band and recorded the long-awaited KARFAGEN debut in 2005 on the Canadian Unicorn Records.

His work can be easily compared to these of MIKE OLDFIELD,GANDALF and CAMEL if you add some more passion and energy to the compositions.Having next to him his fellow keyboardist Sergei Kovalev,Kalugin explores and unites the paths of Symphonic Rock,New Age and Electronic in a very adventuruous and highly attractive package.Lots of spacey floating electronics dominate the album along with pianos and some great organ parts,which give the album a grandiose symphonic taste,while the succesful addition of limited parts with cellos,harmonica,flutes and bagpipes give the album a folkier and almost oriental touch in parts.Among those sometimes bombastic themes weird effects (water,birds etc.) are added in order to calm a bit down the dynamics.Electric guitars are much carefully used with a main aim to rise up the energy and nerve of the music between the keyboard-based parts,sometimes also in a jazzy mood.I could say that most of the tracks contain from even a bit to a higher range of Kalugin's classical training,especially on the piano parts...and one more thing:Do not expect the music to be overall sweet and atmospheric.In ''Continium'' KARFAGEN offer a fair amount of complex ELP-ish breaks to make it even more attractive and challenging.

The final taste is more than positive.Intricate,balanced,adventuruous and marvelously arranged,''Continium'' was worth waiting and Kalugin made no mistake on insisting on this band's future.An excellent addition to your collection,especially if you are a fan both of Symphonic and keyboard-driven Progressive Rock. 

 

                                                                        “Plector” (DiN76)

 Greek synthesist Bakis Sirros who records under the name of Parallel Worlds has become a familiar name to followers of the DiN label. His debut release was “Obsessive Surrealism” (DiN26) back in 2007 and since then he has released a further solo album, “Shade” (DiN32), as well as several collaborative albums with different artists including DiN label boss Ian Boddy & Node guru Dave Bessell.


“Plector” (DiN76) is his third solo outing on the DiN imprint and continues the deep dive into organic, analogue modular excursions that this talented musician is so adept at. Throbbing, deep bass lines are accompanied by sparse drum patterns and beguiling melodic synth lines. The album has a beautifully cohesive, dark and brooding atmosphere. Hints of a John Carpenter like synth soundtrack lurk around every corner but the sound world that Sirros creates is very much his own. At times the raw beauty of his synth patches grab you whilst at other moments the delicate, glitch like sound design details hover just out of sight. The album is built upon two groups of three rhythmic tracks interspersed with the dark drone of “Atmoform” and the beautiful, almost Enoesque final track, “Harmonic Pathways”.

Lovers of Electronica, Dark Techno, Downtempo & IDM will find much to admire in “Plector” and this new album once again showcases the unique talent of this highly individual musician.

credits

Our thanks for DiN Label Head Ian Boddy for providing us with a copy of this release.

released December 9, 2022

All tracks composed, arranged and produced by Bakis Sirros during 2022.

Mastered by Ian Boddy July 2022.

Thanks to: friends and family, John Sirros, Ian Boddy, Mamonu, Ingo Zobel & Dimitris Pavlidis.


Machines used:
Buchla modular
Eurorack modular
Korg opsix
Softwares
 
 

Parallel Worlds Plector (2022)

The music here spans a wide range of genres, no matter what the responses of its moods Read the complete review.
 

 
Unexplained Sounds Group 8th Annual Report is the 8th chapter of the series that comes out every year in December, and showcases the best 2022 experimental electronic and electroacoustic music. It includes veteran composers alongside younger but equally talented musicians from all around the globe. All musicians here are united by the spirit of pushing the boundaries of music and of charting the new territories thus forged. This 8th edition features artists coming from United States, Italy, Finland, Iran, Argentina, Jordan, Germany, Mexico, Greece.

credits

Our thanks to Raffaele Pezzella for providing us with a copy of this release.

released December 2, 2022

Published by ©Unexplained Sounds Group
Curated and mastered by Raffaele Pezzella
© 2022. All rights reserved
experimental avant-garde drone improvisation musique concrete sound art Italy