Drawing its title from sci-fi author William Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy, Morkebla‘s ‘Ono-Sendai Cyberspace‘ is an album that operates on the fringes of futurism and nostalgia, synthesizing leftfield techno try-outs and gunmetal ambient vistas from a demiurgic perspective. Moved by the desire of opening ambient and experimental music to new horizons of possibilities, Rosso conceived a proper journey for the senses, strangely minimal yet quickly expansive, and it definitely hits the mark.
"As he plunges his melodies in finely designed chiaroscuros, tracing the contours to a variable geometry, each cut seems to evolve and mutate depending on the listening context and mood"
The Italian producer certainly has a knack for extended soundscaping and languid remembrances ; chiseling blankets of velvet-clad pads and otherworldly lamentos on the deeply emotional drift ‘RE-2001‘, or delving into further ominous vibes on the murky ‘Floor-Melting Smileys‘ that feels just as reassuring as waiting for the bus in the highlands on a moonless night.
The depth in textures and arrangements clearly makes for Rosso’s main strength. As he plunges his melodies in finely designed chiaroscuros, tracing the contours to a variable geometry, each cut seems to evolve and mutate depending on the listening context and mood: by turns tear-jerking and dazzlingly hypnotic, other times freezing cold and disembodied.
"'Ono-Sendai Cyberspace' is an ode to the flux and impermanence of things, the transitory nature of memory and sound"
Usually most producers stick to a main melody and repeat it – trying to fix the fragrance by sequencing it as an algorithm, but Rosso doesn’t merely rely on the immediacy of a fine tune, he trims it down to the bone. Tracks such as ‘Derm‘ and the album’s highlight ‘ASFR Lover‘ are striking examples of the ephemeral lifeblood of Rosso’s music.
It is no wonder that they picked footage of a jellyfish floating in the ocean and fierce tornados for background: ‘Ono-Sendai Cyberspace‘ is an ode to the flux and impermanence of things, the transitory nature of memory and sound. Just let it pulse and go, it’ll flutter and anchor more deeply than you’d ever think. It’s been months since it’s out and yet we’ve not quite reached the kernel. Timeless.
Ono-Sendai Cyberspace is out now, order a vinyl copy from Deutsche Asphalt.
TRACKLIST
A1. RE-2001
A2. Derm
A3. De-Ghost Metalink
B1. Hypnovel
B2. Floor-Melting Smileys
B3. ASFR Lover
B4. The Third Place
Discover more about Morkebla and Baroc on Inverted Audio.
MorkeblaBarocFebruary 2016AmbientExperimentalTechno