Perfectly blended and immaculately paced throughout, with just the right amount of light and shade, drama and seclusion, melodic twists, all leading to a vibrant picture scape.
A surging of dark waves
Seiche is the fourth full-length album by video game sound designer Kevin Patzelt’s dark-hued cinematic Dreissk project. The album title hints at an undertow, a surging of dark waves, which has always been evident in Dreissk’s output. Seiche is a soundtrack to a yet-to-be-made film about the dystopia of now and is n5MD’s first release of 2022.
It’s challenging to portray just how atmospheric and clever this release is. While we hear lots of the ambient and atmospheric, this particular offering presents a unique mixing and blending of all colors and textures to achieve a truly wonderful ambience of both dramatic and cool hues, as well as leaving plenty of scope to the imagination. Seiche is indeed embedded with full bodied intricate sounds of the purest overtures.
Its lengthy introduction sets the scene of things very much to come—like a drone passing over a whole energized planet allowing every opening flower to reveal its centre and emotion. And herein lies the essence of the album. It’s an iconic strike outward, producing its own lively and thought-provoking adventure of sounds. It lives its own dreams and presents its dystopian soundtracks as one united entity—perfectly blended and immaculately paced throughout, with just the right amount of light and shade, drama and seclusion, melodic twists, all leading to a vibrant picture scape.
Adventure beckons with such powerful motifs ::
An absolute majestic cinematic entrée, with “Cold Sear,” that is both powerful and emotional—huge sounds and build-ups, like killer waves crashing against a deserted beach. Steady, washes of water with expressive brass effects that eventually tails off to an epic finish.
“Seeking Surface” has that contemplating and haunting element, almost the calm following the storm—gently revealing the evidence of surreal presence and other lifeforms with those dramatic synthesizer washes embellished alongside expressive pianos, all highlighting the catchy and tuneful elements of this serene atmosphere.
“Meeting the Void” gently opens up, allowing the listener to capture the vast scene generated by the music; alien scale flying machines are a driving force here, slicing and splicing through its characteristic layers. Sometimes psychedelic like, percussive and trance inducing at the same time, gently shifting, yet persuasive.
“Turbulence” is a post-apocalyptic journey, insect like and static with sharp stings of sounds further embellished with gentler synth melodic sequences and percussive steps, while the deep bass pushes of “The Stretch” present laid back yet thick textures; the lava from an active volcano of melody.
Seiche produces much imagery—post apocalyptic, dark, haunting and unsettling in the way the music is woven together; fantastically blended tunes and textures and to that end, an alternative self that is often beautiful. “Through the Mist” is a metallic contrast of sharp-edged pulses and delicate weaves while “Passing Storm” lets out an air of menace in its approach.
The song titles very much lend themselves to the type of kaleidoscope you will most likely witness in your mind’s eye upon listening—adventure beckons with such powerful motifs and themes with all movements gracious and ornamented in the darkest yet most fulfilling sense.
Seiche is available on n5MD. [Bandcamp | Website]
