Paradox Obscur – SYNΘESIS (Album – Young And Cold Records)
Genre/Influences: Minimal-electro, electro-wave, wave-pop.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: Greek duoKriistal Ann – Toxic Razor is back on track, unleashing the fourth opus of their sonic brainchild Paradox Obscur. It also is the second album released on Young And Cold Records, which comes three years after the magic “Artifact”. The work is also available on vinyl format and features six songs while the other formats are featuring three extra tracks.
Content: This album moves on where “Artifact” stopped. The songs have this vintage sound color reminding me of the electro-wave from the 80s. Cold synth lines, space-like bleeping sequences together with the very unique timbre of the voice of Kriistal Ann create a somewhat sterile and tormenting music. The songs have this 80s spirit we’re used to hearing from analogue sound treatments. Most of the songs are sung in English, but there also is the French sung “Réflexe”.
The digital- and CD format are featuring an “Alternative Mix” of “Fester” plus a remix of the same song by Protector 101 and a remix of “Réflexe” by Tanya Baltunova.
+ + + : If you liked previous Paradox Obscur releases, you for sure are going to like this new work as well. There’s again this magic analogue sound production resulting in a great minimalistic creation. But the magic also operates when Kriistal Ann starts to sing. This artist has one of the most enigmatic voices in the electro-alternative scene. Her English- and especially French accent both have something sensual and yet cold! It creates a perfect symbiosis with the music. The coldness of the songs also has something anguishing, which mainly comes through on “Réflexe”.
– – – : Paradox Obscur is maybe missing ‘the’ absolute hit to get a world-wide recognition, but it however remains a band to discover. The only single aspect of the work that couldn’t totally convince me are the remixes, which don’t exactly add a bonus.
Conclusion: If you like electro-minimalism with a strong 80s flavor on top, Paradox Obscur is a band to discover while “SYNΘESIS” will bring you joy!
Best songs: “Réflexe”, “Fester”, “Inferno”.
Rate: (8).
Artist: www.facebook.com/paradoxobscur
Label: https://youngandcold.de /
www.facebook.com/youngandcoldrecords
About Paradox Obscur
Paradox Obscur is the Greek duo of Kriistal Ann and Toxic Razor, working in an artisanal, real-time-recorded style of minimal-electro. Their discography includes “Artifact” (2018, Young & Cold Records), “SYNΘESIS” (2020, Young And Cold Records), “Morphogenesis” (2022, Metropolis Records), the “Voxiter” EP (2022) and “Singles & Rarities” (2021). Their sixth album, “IKONA”, followed in 2025 via Metropolis Records. Discussing that album in a Side-Line interview, Toxic Razor described it as born “out of a desire to create something uplifting and melodic”, while Kriistal Ann said the duo has “never worked in a conventional way or adhered to predictable musical paths” – a description that already applied to “SYNΘESIS”.
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.
