Rapoon / Lords Of Infinity – Split (Album – Zoharum)
Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, Experimental, Ambient.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Like the title of the work reveals, this is a split album between UK veteran musician Robin Storey (Rapoon) and Russian duo Marina Kryzhanovskaya – Mikhail Kiryukhin (Lords Of Infinity). Rapoon wanted a ‘ritualistic and shamanistic approach to the creation of music’ while Lords Of Infinity wanted an ‘eternal marriage of all that exists’.
Content: Rapoon takes off featuring 5 tracks featuring an ominous Ambient sphere, which is now and then accentuated by Eastern sound influences. I also noticed passages with guitar- and saxophone sounds. Lords Of Infinity accomplished 2 cuts –the last one taking you on a sonic trip of more than 24 minutes. The sound is Ambient and features saxophone sounds creating a kind of ‘film noir’ ambiance.
+ + + : The main interesting aspect of this split album is the harmony between both artists. You don’t really get the feeling you’re listening to 2 artists, their tracks being complementary. You feel a visual strength listening to both artists and I must admit the Russian duo is an interesting discovery. I especially like the dark, misty sphere created by the saxophone sounds accentuating a part of mystery.
– – – : I’m not sure split-albums are still interesting to music lovers, but the presence of Rapoon might be a reason to purchase the work and discover another cool project.
Conclusion: “Split” is an interesting collaboration between an established and renowned artist and new, upcoming talents.
Best songs: “A Shadowed Look”, “Hidden Treasures”.
Rate: (7).
Artists: www.rapoon.org / www.facebook.com/rapoon / https://lordsofinfinity.bandcamp.com
Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum
About Rapoon and Lords Of Infinity
Rapoon is the solo project of English musician Robin Storey, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Storey formed Rapoon in 1992 after the break-up of Zoviet France, the group he had been part of since 1980. Most of his 1990s recordings appeared on Staalplaat and Soleilmoon, including “Raising Earthly Spirits” (1993) and “The Kirghiz Light” (1995); Relapse Records released “The Fires Of The Borderlands” in 1998 and “Cold War: Drum n Bass” first appeared on Caciocavallo in 2001. Later releases include “Time Frost” (2007, Glacial Movements), “The Library Of The Dead” (2008, Ewers Tonkunst), “Disappeared Redux” (2012, Zoharum) and “Cultural Forgeries” (2014, Alrealon Musique). Storey discussed his work in the ‘Click Interview’ with Rapoon of July 2019. Side-Line reviewed his Zoharum albums Darker By Light (2019), Ghosts From A Machine (2020) and Hotel Bravo (2020) before this split.
Lords Of Infinity is a Russian ritual ambient and experimental project founded in 2017 by Marina Kryzhanovskaya and Mikhail Kiryukhin, according to Discogs. The split with Rapoon is the duo’s first release listed there; the limited CD album “Lost Sense Of The Old Times” followed on Black Mara in 2023.
“Split” was released by the Polish label Zoharum on 29 March 2021 as a download and as a CD limited to 500 copies in a six-panel digipak. Rapoon contributes “Cael Ca”, “A Shadowed Look”, “Cael Dijan”, “Raging Soul” and “Cael Varen”; Lords Of Infinity contribute “Ewig Ruft Das Meer” and “Hidden Treasures”. Discogs credits Robin Storey with the mastering and the cover painting, while the Bandcamp notes state that the artwork was created by both artists. Rapoon has since been reviewed on Side-Line for Palestine with Pacific 231 (2021), Skulls On The Plains Of Turkey (2023) and the 2026 reissue of Cold War : Drum ‘N’ Bass. “Split” is the only Side-Line review for Lords Of Infinity.
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