Gnome & Spybey – Collective (Digital Album – Ant-Zen)

Genre/Influences: Experimental, electro-ambient, cinematographic.
Background/Info: “Collective” is a compilation featuring twelve songs composed over the years by Tony D’Oporto aka Gnome and Mark Spybey (Zoviet France, Dead Voices On Air ao). Both artists did numerous collaborative works so this is an opportunity to re/discover some of their experiments.
Content: The sonic universe of both artists rapidly appears to be a World without compromises and a sonic platform to exorcize multiple electronic influences. The work is mainly ambient-like, but always carried by experimental parts, field recordings and fascinating sound treatments. Some cuts are driven by a slow rhythmic while others are moving into an abstract ambient sound. The tracks are moving from music composed among the stars towards pure, and still evasive cinematographic passages. A few cuts are featuring whispering vocals.
+ + + : The sound of this duo has something atypical and yet rather familiar for lovers of experimental music. I like this taste of doing things ‘differently’. The tracks create a sphere of rest and evasion, which is accentuated by piano parts and transcendental strings. I like the few cuts featuring spooky, whispering vocals.
– – – : I don’t know if it is because of the format of this work (compilation), but some cuts don’t sound in total harmony with other ones.
Conclusion: “Collective” is an interesting sonic summary between those two artists. It’s a must have for the fans and other electro-experimental freaks.
Best songs: “Achim”, “Atomes”, “Dreamed Of Being A River”, “The M urmur Of The Rivers Mouth”.
Rate: (7).
Artist: www.facebook.com/gnomeandspybey
Label: www.ant–zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official
About Gnome & Spybey
Gnome & Spybey pairs Tony D’Oporto, also known as The Gnome and separately involved with Suffering For Kisses and Crisis Actor, with Mark Spybey, formerly of Zoviet France and also known for Dead Voices On Air. The two started working together in 2009, releasing albums on Tourette Records and Crime League before “Collective” compiled songs from across that collaboration. The duo’s next studio album, “The Seventh Seal”, followed on Ant-Zen in 2021.
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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.

