Sonic Area – Ki (Album – Ant-Zen)
Genre/Influences: Experimental, Minimal-Electro, Industrial.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Set up in 1997 by Arnaud Coëffic, Sonic Area released several productions on the artist’s own label Audiotrauma while in recent years he joined hands together with Ant-Zen. “Ki” is taken from the Japanese language and means ‘ joy, sorrow, vigor, courage, cowardice, etc. These are terms used in our daily life. The Japanese see ki as an integral part of all of these’. The album features ten songs revealing several collaborations.
Content: “Ki” is mainly driven by Experimentation, a sonic osmosis between Electronic manipulations and Ambient atmospheres. It’s an album with a wider canvas of influences, which lead the artist to experiment with rather unexpected collaborations. Les Tambours du Bronx contributed to one of the tracks injecting a good-old Industrial percussion touch to the work. The Hint duo has been featured on another cut, which has something mysterious revealing trumpet sounds. Mysterious moods are hanging over the album and especially the opening part is achieved with somewhat Eastern-like elements reminiscent of Dead Can Dance. Some tracks at the last part of the work have something Ritual-like. Several songs are driven by a slow rhythm.
+ + + : I was mainly impressed by the global sound production of the work, which I think is also due to the use of real instruments. Sonic Area stands for a very personal sound, which is hard to label, but definitely diversified and mainly related with an accessible Experimental format and other Industrial elements. The track “Gongwar” featuring Les Tambours du Bronx is an impressive piece of music; Industrial music in the original sense of the meaning. The main strength of “Ki” is its diversity, but also the Minimalism and professional production. The very few vocal parts –by guest singer Jeremy Lemon (Yurodivy) bring a little bonus to the work.
– – – : Diversity is good, but sometimes creating a lack of cohesion between some tracks.
Conclusion: “Ki” stands for an open-minded production although meant to please Experimental- and Industrial lovers.
Best songs: “Gongwar”, “Gardens”, “The Praying Mantis”, “Soot Spirit”.
Rate: (7½).
Artist: www.arcotrauma.com / www.facebook.com/SONIC-AREA-55148727462
Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official
About Sonic Area
Sonic Area is the electronic project of French musician Arnaud Coëffic, also known as Arco Trauma, founded in 1997; he records at Kawati Studios in Strasbourg. Discogs lists the early CDr albums “Sunchase” (1999) and “Num3r1k” (2000) on his own audiotrauma label, followed by the EP “Receptor” (2003), the albums “(Insensé)” (2004) and “Explore” (2007), and “Phenomedia” (2010), made together with Punish Yourself. He also compiled the remastered downloads “Oldies (1999-2003)” and “Rarities (2003-2012)”.
“Music For Ghosts” (2012) was the first album co-released with Ant-Zen and audiotrauma. “We Are The Alchemists” (2015), with writing and production credits shared with Daniel Myer and Martin Delisle, and “Eyes In The Sky” (2016) followed on Ant-Zen, and audiotrauma issued the remastered vinyl compilation “Eternalism” in 2018.
“Ki” was released by Ant-Zen on 1 February 2021 as a download and on CD. Coëffic created, performed, mixed and mastered the ten tracks at Kawati Studios in Strasbourg in 2020: “Soot Spirit”, “The Silent Way”, “The Praying Mantis”, “Lotus”, “Gongwar” featuring Les Tambours du Bronx, “Mountains”, “Blowind”, “Gardens” featuring Hint (Arnaud Fournier and Hervé Thomas), “Wata” and “Street Shadows”. Jeremy Lemon of Yurodivy sings on “Soot Spirit” and “Gongwar”, Dave Hagen adds drums and Julien Lemon bass on several tracks, Yoann Amnesy handled additional sound design and the cover photography, and Stefan Alt made the artwork and layout. The remix album “Ki (Remixes)” followed on Ant-Zen in 2022, and Discogs lists the later albums “Like Tears In Rain” (2024) and “And Shadow” (2026). “Ki” is the project’s only Side-Line review to date.
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