Phantoms vs. Fire – My Mind As Your Amusement Park (CD Album – Blackjack Illuminist Records)
Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, dark-ambient, experimental.
Background/Info: This is the third full length album for this Brazilian project and the second opus released this year on Blackjack Illuminist Records. The album is inspired by a concept, which would lead me too far to explain, but which can be explained as ‘the story of a man and the damaging physical and psychological effects of his romantic ambitions’. The album is also meant as the first chapter of a story, which is intended to be told in eight parts.
Content: The album moves on there where the previous work “WLDLFE” stopped. It’s an ingenious mix of cinematographic and dark-ambient influences while a few other elements are sometimes joining in. I’m referring to slow rhythms and experimental passages filled with multiple field recordings. It’s a kind of sonic collage resulting in frightening atmospheres.
+ + + : The main strength of the work for sure is the rather atypical ambient format. This ambient approach is characterized by mysterious moods and anguished passages. The album is also diversified while I like the authentic touch hanging over the songs.
– – – : Diversity is okay, but sometimes it creates a real versatile effect like an artist who’s in search of his sound.
Conclusion: I personally prefer this album to the previous one; it’s an enjoyable ambient trip without absolute highlights, but without real depths.
Best songs: “Otherworld Cacophony”, “Arrival”, “In Love With A Glitch”.
Rate: (7).
Artist: https://phantomsvsfire.com
Label: www.facebook.com/Blackjack.Illuminist
About Phantoms vs. Fire
Phantoms vs. Fire is a project led by Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Thiago C. Desant, working across cinematographic and dark-ambient composition. The project’s debut album, “Swim,” appeared in 2018 on Burning Witches, followed by “WLDLFE” and “My Mind As Your Amusement Park” in 2019.
Phantoms vs. Fire continued in 2020 with “Modern Monsters I & II”, introduced as connected to “My Mind As Your Amusement Park”.
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