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Kshatriy
CD (ltd. 500) |
Kshatriy pleases his fans with a regularity of his musical experiences and Muzyka Voln label gladly presents his third CD-album "From Heart to Heart". Many reviewers referred Kshatriy's previous works to space dark ambient and the new album also has a cosmogonic feel to its musical images. This time everything takes place in utterly deep space, in the immense emptiness that contains the whole world.
Swinging on slow waves which shimmer in all possible colours we contemplate monumental galactic metamorphoses. Slowly unwinding are the tight spirals of synthesizer drone, rhythmic patterns pulsate and emotional melodies are cut with rare flashes of voice samples. Smoothly flows the sound, charged with energy, transmitting the experience of self-awareness from the musician to the listener... from heart to heart.
Reviews
Sergey Bulychyov, who also calls himself Uak-Kib and he's out on a mission in deep space. We might be lucky still to receive his signals. Armed with his synthesizers, his space craft is craft in space music. Long sustaining tones, lots of reverb - here indeed used to create music as well as to suggest more space, but Kshatriy knows how to avoid 'endless sustain' on the machines - bits of field recording - who says you can't hear birds in space - this is again another fine example of template ambient music. Six pieces spanning one hour, so you can guess the long-form these pieces have, but as ever with a fine amount of variation in these pieces. Kshatriy's music can easily meet with the best in this field, say Lustmord. The music critic that I also pretend to be asks every now and then: what's your next move, Kshatriy? You surely can't be doing this over and over?
When dealing with high abstract and deeply individual genres, like dark ambient for example, the artists try to establish a really close connection with the listener. I truly believe that most of the albums that step out of the doors of that scene should be listened in complete loneliness and with a highest concentration on their content when every small sound movement and every tune has its own meaning, reflects a specific emotion or feeling. Russian based Kshatriy tries to set the proper connection through his new record 'From Heart to Heart' while transmitting the experience of self-awareness from the musician to the listener. I came across this project few times in the past and was highly impressed by the level of the emotional manipulation in each of his creations, both in stand-alone projects and collaborations with other artists.
The third full-length album continues the traditions that were set in previous records and combines the ancient Indian mythology with deep space journeys to create a powerful and winning mixture. Each track is based on some wide melody that drones all around being that glue which connects all the parts together with its highly meditative origin. The drive of the album is gained translationally, without harsh and sudden moves. "Sacred Dimension" starts with a really slow, quiet but still mysterious tone; the tension grows slowly with adding different electronic pulsations, splashes of energy, background voices and so on, when they reach the highest point somewhere by the middle of the track. All the compositions are highly atmospheric, reaching even celestial level by "Crystal Hand".
Along with the recognizable techniques from the previous albums, Kshatriy tries to experiment as well, maybe as a part of some evolution process. The second track "Solar Wind" is bound around a heavy ritualistic drumming which I don't remember to present somewhere else. I think it is the best track of the whole album being very fresh and mind-opening compared to all the rest, more close to the tribal ambient genre. It shows that the artist is not stuck exploiting the baggage of old ideas, but seeks for the ways to find different crossover possibilities.
One more composition with a slight different approach is "Rainbow Serpent" which is basically build on the same slow spacy ambience but with a fresh addition of didgeridoo solo that rolls over the whole track and reminds of Arbre Noir's "Tibet" live track.
Last two tracks reveal a darker side of Kshatriy with a dense and gloomy, still hypnotic sound and mysterious atmosphere. I wasn't impressed by them too much because I expected some more experimentation after hearing those two wonderful tracks that I had really liked. In "Possible Planet" and "From Heart to Heart" the artist continues to concentrate on the depth of the sound, manipulating with tensions and emotions and weaving his web of highly cinematic content.
For my opinion, Kshatriy became a hostage of the highest standards that were set in his previous works. I could see signs of evolution in those two tracks that I really liked and I hope that he will adopt those best points in his next albums and will exploit them much more turning this project into something that will stay in my CD-player for many years. The usage of tribal ambient instruments contributes a lot of diversity and will take Kshatriy to the next level of his journey in the future. Meantime, I think that 'From Heart to Heart' is a kind of transition album that left me with a taste of "more to come" when I feel the potential of this Russian fella.
I feel this is the best Dark Ambient work I have been assigned this year. It has proven to resonate with much of what drives the more romantic and enlightening kinds of art, inspired by mysteries that go so far beyond the banality, hatred and ugliness of life. When done correctly, this type of art, this genre that sees as much saturation as any other, has the potential to heal. It is no surprise then to learn that Brian Eno has taken to composing music for hospitals in his own ambient style. Eno the Healer sounds like a wonderful title to have. This album is unquestionably more profound than that, there is cosmology, spirituality, and something essential in stimulating the innate need to connect with things beyond us; love. The release has equilibrium, both warmth and ice can synthesize in the mind’s eye with it. One can forget the self, but at the same time, recognize that the self is what reflects the outer glories, as well as inner ones.
‘From Heart to Heart’ is a title that invokes the idea of a gift, and that is precisely what this album is. From all the things I have been privy to in the last four years or so, and as is with this release, I find that some of the finest purveyors of this genre are from Russia. This is a land that I have always imagined as mysterious in it’s own special, frightening way. Geographically speaking, I remember looking at maps and globes growing up and noticing just how far north this great nation is. By great, I mean large, expansive, and I imagine quite desolate at it’s most northerly crown. I have seen as much political turbulence in both it’s history and modern times as any other country, but it seems especially dark sometimes, as if the Arctic itself engrains its frost into the psyche of those who inhabit it.
Here is a fine representation of the high-quality production coming forth from Russia right now, as the Zhelezobeton label, which hosts the sub-label Muzyka Voln, is building a great roster of talent that makes up the Russian offerings to the Post-Industrial world. My initial impression of this disc was marked well and inspired by the textural and stylistic similarities to another Dark Ambient authority, Desiderii Marginis. While Mr. Levin has an unmistakable flare for the more emotional sorts of spiritual conveyance, the Kshatriy project is more about extending outward.
It is not only about having an awareness of one’s spirit, but to seek ways of using it. The dense soundscapes of this gem are of the rare variety that manages to have an Industrial feel, but those elements are in no way abrasive, they are accents. The more metallic of sounds adorn things as beautifully as the more obvious synthesized ones. The tracks are progressive, indulgent, and highly psychedelic, especially selections like ‘Crystal Hand‘, ‘Sacred Dimension‘, and the title track. This release really exceeded my expectations.
On its third album, Kshatriy continues on its space-like course, but with more restraint than on the previous one. This time there are no dissonant extra sounds, and thus the whole attention is on the warm, echoing sense of distance. Sergey Uak-Kib has already shown his skill in creating sound-spatiality, and so too here: From Heart to Heart is an undeniable trip to the echoes of the universe. It is a fine, harmonious ambient whole, that flows from one state to the next, at times making also use of didgeridoo and vocals. Its great challenge, as to Kshatriy already before, is that Lustmord at his strongest period, and especially Inade, have many times already created the same kinds of senses, masterfully so. Therefore, this cannot really be considered an innovative work. At the same time, the artist is responding to demand - it’s as if we get a combination album made of those two masters’ styles, close to as good as it could get. Familiar, yet novel, in a well composed whole. Kshatriy’s name continues to denote high quality.
For friends of space-ambient, a great delicacy that fits right in with the best of the genre. For others, I do recommend buying it only after you have first heard the relevant masterpieces from Inade and Lustmord.
This is the 3rd full length by Russian musician Sergey Uak-Kib. Previous album revealed a real potential, but this new work sees the dark-ambient project excelling in style and global production.
“From Heart to Heart” features 6 tracks where from start on you get the impression to enter the mouth of the underworld. You’re lost in an obscure atmospheric composition dominated by humming sound waves. A few whispering and chilling vocals feel a bit like spoken spirits.
“Solar Wind” coming up is a great apocalyptic piece of music. The overwhelming sound has a real harsh impact and probably stands for one of the best cuts of Kshatriy thus far. Darkness rules over this album. Dark and desperate sound waves have been achieved by a few industrial elements. The metallic percussion sounds resonate in the background while the haunting electro-treatments get you in their grip.
I didn’t exactly expect a didgeridoo to appear on “Rainbow Serpent”, but this ethnic instrument injects an extra intriguing aspect, which perfectly matches with the global style of the work.
The last part of the album is more soundtrack-oriented. There also is a quite recognizable astral influence running through the work. That’s an element that was already quite typical on the previous releases. The dark-ambient and space elements come together in an imaginary dark hole of great sound treatments.
Conclusion: “From Heart To Heart” is a without a shadow of a doubt the most accomplished and efficient release of Kshatriy.
Kshatriy became mature and more inspired!
The peculiar label Zhelezobeton has now sent forth a new, fresh arm called “Muzyka Voln” in order to release different albums that may somehow feel different from its usual elements. Endless and unstoppable, Kshatriy, on the third album titled “From heart to heart”, is a shining example for such display of new sounds.
Lasting for one hour from first track to the last, “From heart to heart” should be played continuously in order to completely understand the powers in balance on this recording. The sound carries, and I am taken into what I think describe to myself as ‘deep space’ only to later understand that this is not the case in here, not today. The whispering sounds and echoing, haunting rings of distant metal churches of acid are there to ensure my disorientation and sense of uncertainty in the dark, endless void I can se no way out of. On “Crystal Hand” I can hear vague voices that make me step off the path and wander, wonder, lost through the music. On the next track, “Rainbow Serpent”, there is a monolithic didgeridoo that provokes my senses with deep bass and deep meditations. I suddenly come to the realization that for almost ten minutes I have not moved one muscle of my body, as I wasn’t here, but there, in the void of this astral music.
Looking great and sounding better, Kshatriy’s third CD album is a wonderful gift, and since I have the pleasure to own the previous album as well, I can draw a line between the music in these two releases. I can see, well, hear, the direction and length of this imaginary line between the two creations, and then, when I take courage and continue this straight line in order to see where else it will reach, I think I can see some wonderful things.
I had previously reviewed Kshatriy's work, so I was interested to see where this would take us. [...] This is the sound of worlds slowly falling apart - creaks and groans echo over spacey synth drones. There are vocals, but they are buried so far into the mix that they seem to be there mainly for atmosphere. There is no lyric sheet, so figuring them out may be a fool's errand. Overall this is outstanding dark ambient, but it is not all just drone. Solar Wind, for example, features percussion, which gives the track a feeling of movement. As with the previous release, this would be quite at home on Cyclic Law or Malignant Records. It seems that Russia is quickly becoming a center for stunning dark ambient. This disc is limited to 500 copies, so you'll want to pick it up. This album weighs in at around 60 minutes.
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