Published by Davide Pappalardo on October 28, 2018
Blakk Harbor is the new ambient/techno/drone/tribal project of the Berlin-based Greek artist Angelos Liaros, already know for the experimental electronic act Mobthrow. Under this moniker, he showcases a ritualistic and evoking brand of ambient music mixed with modern electronics and post-industrial elements – achieving a personal sound with cinematic qualities and aural soundscapes.
Madares is his first work as Blakk Harbor, a 12-track album released on Stefan Alt‘s label Ant-Zen. Here he displays his skills as a sound designer (he works for the German technology company Native Instruments) and a composer, inspired by ancient mythology and the occult, and by modern electronic music. The resulting sound is an engaging experience, in which genres’ boundaries are not considered.
Our journey into mystery starts with Sunken and its evocative ambiences, a mix of distant dark ambient motif and ritualistic sounds. It doesn’t explode, instead it grows thanks to the layering of different elements, until it achieves a spiraling crescendo with orchestral atmospheres and tribal rhythms. Moondrone lives up to its name, using minimal rhythmic patterns and droning sounds, while aural sculptures are evoked by the means of subtle bass sounds and swinging snares. The track seduces us, delivering an ambient/techno moment full of pathos during its second half.
Sacred grounds employs acoustic arpeggios and slow drums, evolving into an ethnic episode with sparse industrial elements and beautiful atmospheres, while Ancient landmarks returns to dark ambient territories by the means of horn sounds and shrilling field-recordings. The piece keeps a droning structure, guiding the listener with its charming repetition, but at the same time it adds new elements in a slow, but steady, development.
The ghost of paiute is a brooding, dark techno affair, focusing on downtempo structures and sparse sounds, while keeping an enthralling rhythmic pattern full of ritualistic elements. Distant choruses and a sense of growing tension complete the mysterious soundscape, and abrasive loops have their say during the second half of the track. Sacrificium is maybe the most energetic moment on the album, a rhythmic number with militant drum sounds and cinematic lines picturing a menacing atmosphere. Soon the track explodes into techno-industrial galore, without forfeiting ambiences.
To really understand Madares you have to listen to it: a perfect balance between sound design, evocation, atmosphere, engaging rhythms, is here achieved. An aural world with its own stories and sound-pictures, a mind-travel of the best kind, crafted by a professional musician with a clear artistic vision and the skills needed to give life to them. One of the albums of the year, for sure.
Label: Ant-Zen
Rating: 9