Darkrad – 13 Years Of Melancholia (Album – Audiophob)

Genre/Influences: Electro-Ambient, Experimental, Industrial.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Russian born Jana Komaritsa comes to celebrate the thirteenth anniversary of her Darkrad project with this new work. The album features new songs, live tracks and remixes.
Content: The work takes off with 6 new tracks featuring one song composed together with Flint Glass. The tracks are into Electro-Ambient while achieved with Industrial sound treatments and the artist’s spooky vocals on top. We next get 4 live cuts taken at different places and featuring a few familiar cuts. The last part brings 5 remixes by Chaotalion, Aphexia, Mandelbrot, Anatoly Grinberg and Alamren.
+ + + : The new songs bring this uncompromised sound of Darkrad; a dark fusion between different styles and supported with ghost-like -and sometimes whispering, vocals. The song featuring Flint Glass sounds more Industrial-like than the others and is a cool piece of music. I also like the live version of “Black Mask” for its overwhelming sound atmosphere. Among the remixes I recommend listening to the remix of “Solace” by Anatoly Grinberg injecting broken beats and a modern touch.
– – – : I experienced some of the tracks as being a bit short. The live cuts reveal a more improvised approach which can’t always convince me.
Conclusion: Darkrad isn’t releasing new material at regular basis but always has something to offer.
Best songs: “In Haze feat. Flint Glass”, “Sentenced To Love”, “Black Mask – Live”, “Solace – Anatoly Grinberg Remix”.
Rate: 7.
Artist: www.komaritsa.com / www.facebook.com/darkradproject
Label: www.audiophob.de / www.facebook.com/audiophob
Listen to “13 Years Of Melancholia”:
About Darkrad
Darkrad is the dark ambient project of Jana Komaritsa, a Russian-born multidisciplinary artist based between Russia and the United States. The project’s debut album, “Abnormal Love”, was released on Cold Meat Industry in 2012, followed by “Little Black World” in 2014 on Komaritsa’s own label Mrakmur, in a limited tape edition. “13 Years Of Melancholia”, released on Audiophob, marks the project’s thirteenth anniversary with new material, live recordings, and remixes.
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