Published by Alessandro Violante on November 24, 2016
“There is no greater honor than to be inspired”, says Ophelia The Suffering in her notes about her last digital release Klangporträts III, and while listening to her new songs, her listeners will certainly agree with this. Our readers will surely know who she is: as Ecstasphere, everything started approximately in 2010-2011, and in 2014 her first album was released by Raumklang Music, Feed your head. Then, two LPs (one of them under the Aphexia monicker) and one self-released release came, as well as a selection made for us and a detailed interview which you can read here.
Inspired by rhythmic noise masters, but with a particular taste for melodies, and thanks to a strong knowledge of music perceivable in her releases as well as a strong sense of songwriting, she succeeded in bringing her music live to the most important rhythmic noise festival (and one of the most important in industrial music), Maschinenfest, where she played this year, putting on stage her particular formula made of syncopated rhythms, electric guitar inserts, classical music-derived melodic elements and unusual vocals.
Her Klangporträts series could be considered as made of records in which she explores new sounds, trying new solutions without any limit. What differentiates Ophelia from other musicians is her need to constantly find new solutions to deliver her message to the listeners, recalling the spirit of research of some German electronic musicians of the past.
The six songs here contained (the last one is a long bonus track, Sonnenkuss) partially move from the sound of Carnival of Catharsis (which gained some attention in several webzines), as well as from that of Aphexia. All the elements of her sound are now clearer, and while in the past some of them were in the background (electric guitars for example), now they are well listenable and put on the front. For example, in Reformation, guitars have an important role, as they break the rhythmic tension of the song. Guitars aren’t an addition put in the background anymore, they play longer riffs, and in this way some of her songs gain a more physical sound. This is also gained through the use of less artificial and less distorted beats.
Classical-flavoured melodies have a major role as well. In Alternation, what in the recent past was a short series of notes, now becomes something more complex. It can clearly be heard how distortion isn’t the most important element of her music anymore, as she has been progressively working on a personal formula detached from the genre’s classics. In the aforementioned song, you can listen to a more IDM-influenced approach, instead of a typical rhythmic noise sound. Her vocals are way clearer now; that’s a sign she has been progressively becoming more confident, and now she has more attention for sounds too. In Alternation, as the song progresses, a very strong and uncompromising rhythm emerges with great power, a rhythm never shown before in her past releases, perfectly mixed with her melodies. All these elements, put together in a proper way thanks to her songwriting skills, make her songs something more than simple tracks, and the listener will have the feeling that everything is put in its right place and that her sound is surely more mature.
As always, her music speaks for herself. Hers is A cure, to mention one of her early songs, and if it’s true that every inspired musician lives some kind of tormented existence, that’s the reason her music is surely above the standards. Such quality is confirmed by the monumental final bonus track, the aforementioned Sonnenkuss: an inspired and kaleidoscopic suite which highlights her several influences, starting with an evocative ambient mood and angelic vocals, thus introducing electric guitar riffs and a rock structure, then going back to its beginning, closing the circle.
For all these reasons, Klangporträts III is Ophelia The Suffering’s most interesting release so far. Ecstasphere / Aphexia will take you on her journey. Why shouldn’t you accept it?
Label: Self-released
Score: 9, 5