Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, cinematographic, abstract-music.
Background/Info: SiJ is an Ukrainian project set up by Vladislav Sikach and which has released an impressive number of productions in a rather short lapse of time. Textere Oris is a Russian project set up by Ilya Fursov, which has a few productions at his active. Both artists joined hands and got the opportunity to expose their ‘ambient’ skills on Cryo Chamber.
Content: The album takes off in a rather evasive and beautiful ambient way. You can dream away on dreamy sounds, reminding me of the chants of whales. Some fragmented vocals also join in, but the main characteristic of this work appears to be the use of multiple field recordings. It feels like a sonic discovery moving from forests to aquatic passages.
The production has been accomplished with some heavy basting sound treatments and depressed piano passages. The work becomes progressively colder and even a bit hostile. You rapidly realize that “Reflections Under The Sky” is digging towards the darkest aspects of life. The work is achieved by a surprising and somewhat surreal mix of noises and atmospheres, which are now like symbolizing the beauty in life and then its horror side.
+ + + : SiJ & Textere Oris has accomplished a remarkable and professional production. This is a real cohesive sonic puzzle.
– – – : There’s a discordance between the more reverie-like debut and the main passages, which are more into anguishing atmosphere and obscure music.
Conclusion: “Reflections Under The Sky” sounds like a classic work featuring different and very distinguishing parts on, which beauty and delicacy has been followed by evil and horror. I’m afraid this is nothing less than a perception of the world we’re living in.
Best songs: “Lost”, “Behind The Window”, “Ortuo”.
Rate: (7½).
Bands:www.facebook.com/sijmusic / www.facebook.com/textere.orisLabel:www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber
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.
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.
