|
 |
The music of I, Synthesist (composer/producer Chris Ianuzzi) is indeed a
coherent whole that blends the past and present in electronic music. The sound
is complex and multi-layered; the songs are classic and accessible. You can call
it Electropop: it doesn’t take an MFA in composition to enjoy. If the future is
a trend worth following, I,Synthesist, is right on-trend for his second
full-length release, The Art of Survival. The name is fitting: Through the
trendy and the trivial, art survives. Reaching beyond the well-loved synth-pop
sound of his first album, Avalanche, The Art of Survival takes a broader dive
into modern music. There is a powerful electronic union of persistent beats and
thought-full lyrics laced together into memory-sticking melodies and enveloping
orchestrations. In the studio and at live performances, Ianuzzi uses classic
analog synthesizers as well as cutting-edge digital technologies and tools to –
sometimes literally – get his hands on the sonic DNA upon which each song is
constructed. Ianuzzi is a sophisticated composer; This album showcases this
ability without abandoning his synth-pop sensibility – which is no mean feat.
There’s music for your head and music to move it to. From the ball bearing
ruminations of the title track to the 20-minute ambient landscape of “The
Overlook,” these are the contrasts that set the music of I,Synthesist free from
any narrowly-defined genre. “Time Machine” is an instantly winning classic,
simultaneously electro and balladesque. A killer bassline and the chunky, blocky
scrape of a synth glock move the track forward, tumbling it through the whirl of
the percussion storm, adding to the thickening mix with each funked-up spin.
“Telepathy” slowly rockets into a dance-floor fireworks show. “Anthems” is
definitely a departure for I,Synthesist, speaking to ghosts both sonic and
human. Profound and simple, it’s another example of this album’s cerebral appeal
– at once enigmatic and compelling. Available November 6th, 2007.
|
|
|
I, Synthesist - Art of Survival |
CD $17.97
CAD
|
|
|
|
