Alphaxone – Dystopian Gate (Album – Cryo Chamber)
Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, dark-cinematographic.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: “Dystopian Gate” must be the eleventh album by Mehdi Saleh aka Alphaxone. And I’m not considering the multiple collaborative releases that saw the light of day. This new opus and conceptual work is meant as an invitation ‘about the contrast between the dystopian and the dream of a better future among the stars’…
Content: Alphaxone moves on with the construction of styled and intimate dark atmospheres. The tracks have been progressively built up with the addition of little noises and effects. Buzzing sound waves are supported by white noises. The sensation of an old cracking vinyl record sound appears to be the red line through the work, but it also creates a ghost-like feeling.
+ + + : Alphaxone remains to me one of the most essential ambient composers from the dark-ambient scene of the last decennium. He’s not exactly innovating, but has this particular taste to refine his work with numerous little details and electronic effects. It creates an intimate universe, which however has something malefic. “Frozen Light ” is a perfect track to experience this disturbing sensation, which is due to the visual strength of Alphaxone’s work. The tracks don’t exactly need multiple sound layers to get you in their grip. “Falling Time ” is a very efficient track where you get the impression that not a lot is really happening and yet you can feel a deep feeling of angst.
– – – : The album is maybe missing an absolute climax to speak about a masterpiece. The main problem with prolific artists is that they’re often repeating themselves.
Conclusion: Alphaxone is a master in creating evasive music passages, which are although anguishing!
Best songs: “Frozen Light”, “Dissolving Horizon”, “Falling Time”, “Lost In The Moment”.
Rate: (8).
Artist: www.facebook.com/alphaxone
Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber
About Alphaxone
Alphaxone is the one-man dark-ambient project of Iranian musician Mehdi Saleh, releasing primarily through Cryo Chamber both as a soloist and in numerous collaborations, including “Shadows Of Forgotten Legends” (2020, with ProtoU and Onasander). “Dystopian Gate” is Saleh’s eleventh Alphaxone album. He has continued releasing regularly since, including “Interdimensional” (2024) and “Subsynthetic Pulseforms” (2026).
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