Dominion expands on June’s sound, illustrates his diverse capabilities and highlights the enviable musicality he has at his fingertips.
Tsampikos Fronas (aka June) has more than proved his skills behind the machines. The Greek artist, better known as June, has shown his abilities with some cracking 12”s like Don’t Be Seen With Me and most recently The Human Target. Now those talents have been picked up by the ever savvy electronic savant Jason Amm (aka Solvent) for Suction Records.
Fronas had only once put his Synth Wave style on display with Golden Era. Dominion sees the sound getting the full LP treatment. Short, ephemeral pieces are countered by longer, lingering works of vintage analogue music. The title piece opens. Wet, rasping snares careen through a city of laser light. Retro futurism is given audio form.“Fantasia of Synths” is an absolute triumph. The track, a beautiful meandering piece of subtle oscillations and key changes, calls to mind the likes of S.C.D. with its depth and emotion. Stripes of fuzz slide across keys for the elevating elegance of “Vanity Fair.” It is an elegance of execution that characterizes Dominion. Melodies and harmonies are incredibly free wheeling, their interlocking and weaving having something of a live recording quality to them. The close comes in the charming demo style “The Queen of Flowers (Version 2)”. The track is lovingly warm. Beats are removed as warbling bleeps trill and twirl in late autumn light.
The last time I wrote about June I lamented the lack of attention, or publicity, he was receiving. Since then the Berlin based artist has garnered widespread praise and is rightly getting picked up for live sets across Europe. But Suction Records had already seen the potential before the fanfare. Dominion expands on June’s sound, illustrates his diverse capabilities and highlights the enviable musicality he has at his fingertips.
Dominion is available on Suction.
