Xaos
– Xaos (Independent Records Ltd)
CD
/ DL
22
June 2015
8
/ 10
Greek descended production duo release a new album.
After
ten years in the making, this ‘post-Troika Hellenic Trance Music’ collection
sees the light of day. Made up of Ahetas
Jimi, a Greek composer and painter, and Nick ‘Dubulah’ Page a producer and
writer of Greek descendancy, Xaos have put together a quite fascinating album
bridging the gap between traditional music and modern day ambient.
Using
traditional instruments like the Pontic Lyra and daouli the duo have skilfully
merged the sounds with modern keyboards and computers to give an eleven track
snapshot of two worlds, 5,000 years apart coming together as one.
It’s
slow, often repetitive stuff with chords and looped melodies creating gentle
calming ambience. Re-constructed ancient
vocal scales and tone clusters sound at ease with each other over one of the
most relaxing albums of the year.
For the ambient purist it marks a delightful
sway into a new direction, and for the newcomer it opens up a world of new
possibilities and endless dreams. From
the opening track Pontos Blues the direction of the album if firmly established
and it is one which will take you on a quite remarkable journey complete with
gaida bagpipes and Pontic Lyra fiddle.
Processional
sounds exactly like that. A repetitive
chant and drum sounds for nigh on six minutes are interspersed with sounds of
unusual instrumentation and threads.
Pindos Full Moon and Byzantine 1 are short but incredible sweet as no
less affection is poured into the short pieces.
In
a time when Greece is in turmoil, it is perhaps nice to see Xaos (translated as
Chaos) put together something so inventive and engaging. To say that the album is ‘epic’ would be an understatement
as layer upon layer of gorgeous sound engulfs the listener with ease.
Maybe
only on Free Fall does the percussionist threaten to break free and disturb the
calm that has been created before, but Xaos skilfully avoid the surely massive
temptation to continue the voyage into serenity, and album closer Sunfire
disappears into the beautiful horizon from which the album originally came.
Links
Independent Records Ltd
Xaos on Soundcloud
Xaos on Twitter
Xaos on Facebook
Published on Louder Than War 22/06/15 - here
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