Dronny Darko & Ajna – Radioactive Immersion (Album – Cryo Chamber)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematographic.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: This is the third collaborative album between Ukrainian Oleh Puzan (aka Dronny Darko) and American Chris F (aka Ajna).
Content: “Radioactive Immersion” takes off with a track illustrating the title of the work; kind of Geiger noises mixed with deep, breathing sound effects and space signals. Quite progressively we’re entering a sonic universe featuring field recordings, slow linear drones, abyssal atmospheres and monotones passages. One of the tracks features Dronny Darko’s partner in crime ProtoU.
+ + + : Dark-Ambient and Cinematographic influences are in perfect harmony with each other. The work is a fascinating sonic puzzle, which you better listen to by using headphones to distinguish some little noises and sound details. Both debut tracks reveal a scary universe reminding us of nuclear danger, but “Plutonium Clouds” featuring “ProtoU” is a brilliant, relaxing abyssal experience.
– – – : Both last cuts are somewhat disappointing compared to the rest of the album.
Conclusion: A familiar theme and concept for an enjoyable experience in dark music.
Best songs: “Plutonium Clouds”, “Bottomless Gorge”, “Anomalous Gravity Distortion”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/dronnydarko
Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber
About Dronny Darko and Ajna
Dronny Darko is the dark ambient project of Ukrainian musician Oleh Puzan and Ajna is the project of American musician Chris F. Both record for Cryo Chamber. Side-Line covered Dronny Darko’s third album “Spira Igneus” in October 2016 and “Abduction” in May 2017, and spoke to him in ‘Click Interview’ with Dronny Darko: ‘I Like The Drone Side Of Things; Something That Keeps You Immersed And Consumed’.
The pair first worked together on “1000 Years Of Cryosleep”, issued by Petroglyph Music in 2014, and followed it with “Black Monolith” on Reverse Alignment in 2017. Both also took part in the Cryo Chamber collaboration “Tomb Of Ordeals” in 2019.
“Radioactive Immersion” was released by Cryo Chamber on 9 March 2021 as catalogue CRYO 168, on CD and digital. Both artists are credited with composing and recording, and Simon Heath handled mastering and artwork. The seven tracks are “Anomalous Gravity Distortion”, “Bottomless Gorge”, “Electromagnetic Pulse”, “Uranium 235”, “Plutonium Clouds”, “Mutated DNA” and “Radioactive Immersion”. ProtoU, who was interviewed by Side-Line in ‘Click Interview’ with ProtoU: ‘Reflection Of Calm Mind’, guests on “Plutonium Clouds”.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
