More heavy and power electronics are used as main architecture, punctuated by processed acoustic elements, retro-futurist tribal drums, doom-laden organ chords, micro noises, and nihilistic vocals, wordless and narrated.
Sonic industrial atmospheres
Sophia is a post-industrial music side project headed by Peter Bjärgö whose name is quite familiar for avid listeners of the heavenly neoclassical and almost neo medieval-ish aesthetics of Arcana (his main project). Among Sophia’s memorable releases we can mention Deconstruction Of The World (Cyclic Law, 2003) for its dense but still clean-sounding, martial, and tremendous electronic-tinged orchestration. The previous efforts published for CMI are also worth consideration for the historical aspect.
Once more, this new musical endeavor is welcomed by Cyclic Law—a leading figure in the renewal and heritage of dark ambient music and anything related to—for its compositional dimensioned The Age Of The Narcissist even surpassing what has been released under this moniker, especially due to a more sophisticated approach on the percussive blasted soundscapes. The style pushes to the fore sonic industrial atmospheres but now with emphasis on an intense wall of sound, driven by more cinematic, enthralling atmospherics, less minimalistic, and also more focused on more brooding post-apocalyptical moods. More heavy and power electronics are used as main architecture, punctuated by processed acoustic elements, retro-futurist tribal drums, doom-laden organ chords, micro noises, and nihilistic vocals, wordless and narrated.
A bombastic, chilling ritualistic ambient industrial album that serves the cause and latest development of the genre. Probably Sophia’s best effort to date; their more grandiose cinematographic one. Warmly recommended if you are into adventurous, neoclassical, and rythmic musical facets of Ain Soph, Der Blutharsch, TRIARII, Toroidh, Sephiroth, Dream Into Dust, and Lamia Vox.
The Age Of The Narcissist is available on Cyclic Law. [Bandcamp]
