“Post-Biological Wildlife” is a 6-track album with electro-acoustic contemporary music by composer, musician and producer Juhani Silvola.

I'm thrilled: The music on this album is something of the best I've heard in the past few months! Compositional and music-performing craftsmanship and creativity combine to create a masterpiece. Listening was a real pleasure! The compositions captivate with creative simplicity, intelligence, with great attention to detail, and testify to an incredible sense of aesthetics and beauty. It is music that sounds like an artificial, futuristic soundscape of nature and wildlife - and it's very well done. Bravo!

Track number one "Ritualrytmikk" appears modest at first. But this first impression is a fallacy, as you will quickly notice. Every single sound appears razor-sharp, carefully edited and then skillfully arranged. The musical craftsmanship is convincing right from the start and thus draws the listener's attention. "Ritualrytmikk" is mainly percussive sounds with clear, stringent lines in the aesthetics of their arrangement, and with subtle but targeted dynamics: The arrangement of the sounds and the quality of the sound modifications captivate the listener within seconds with enormous suction power - not intrusive, but striking. An invitation to research: How wild can a "post-biological wildlife" be?
The first track then takes you directly to “Machines of Loving Grace”. This second piece bores like a needle into the percussive landscape, which was drawn with "Ritualrytmikk". The wildlife of this electroacoustic wilderness shows its claws and hunting skills. The music stalks the listener attentively ... what happens now? It's a hunt in the most delightful way; and I truly enjoy being the hunted one. This track immediately creates a cinema in the listener's mind. The listener finds himself in the middle of the music, surrounded, curious, driven, challenged: what's next? Not only are the percussions vibrated, but also one's own emotions, and everything gets electrified. An impressive composition - massive but never overwhelming. Fantastic!
The third track is titled "Vaster Than Empires". Here with skillful violin playing by Sarah-Jane Summers. The craftsmanship of instrumental performance and composition is still maintained at a very high level. A composition in which tenderness and tension are paired - playing around each other, carefully probing and then falling over each other. What a dynamic! I listen spellbound and become part of a very intimate and intense moment, in the middle of a large, lively jungle. Where is the journey going now?
With "20th Century Meditation" the journey goes deeper into this jungle ... As a listener you really feel like a researcher on a wilderness expedition. Now the music is pulsating, mystical: the lianas of the mallet percussions surround the listener. At the end of the piece you wake up like from a dream - or was it real?
“Post-Biological Wildlife”: It sounds like a woodpecker is pounding, the wind is blowing, birds are chirping ... The electro-acoustic music with all its facets and differences is equally balanced: harmonious and virtuoso at the same time. Somewhere between fact and fiction, between natural history and fairy tales. Magical, futuristic and realistic - all at the same time. The listener has arrived at the edge of the forest: more bright spots, more transparency, more air. Chirping here and there. Stop! Wait! Listen! What was that?
With "Speculative Phonography pt. 1", the last track on the album, the listener suddenly realizes that he is not in a dream world anymore, and that he is not a researcher who understands everything and who has everything under control, but is actually still being hunted. The "sound predator" likes the transparency into which it has preyed: the field is open and wide for the grand finale of the chase. The tension rises (skillfully evoked), step by step, the breathing comes closer, and finally the hunter and the hunted face each other. What exactly is happening here? It feels like a complete fusion of music and listening experience: Who is the one breathing? The listener or the music? Everything seems to be interwoven. The hunter and the prey have become one, the boundaries between music and humans, electronics and acoustics have dissolved.

My research results: These compositions of Juhani Silvola show us that music lives on regardless of the sound possibilities of the future; free in the meaning of wide-ranging, wild in the meaning of challenging, and purposeful in regards of artistic expression - in every kind of soundscape. Highly Recommended!

With “In Flickers” (2018) LYCIA present an excellent, unpretentious, very intimate and at the same time emotionally charged album (which is not a contradiction as LYCIA were able to demonstrate with songs such as “She” or “The Path”).

The programmed drum patterns are carefully arranged, unobtrusive, but always supportive - mostly mixed in the overall sound: very aesthetic.
The chord progressions of each song are simple / modest, but very fitting and aesthetic as well.
Rock-inspired, heavily distorted guitar and bass are gently embedded in synth sound voicings and fine melody ornaments. They all merge into big ambient soundscapes, over which the fragile, breathy voices of Mike VanPortfleet and Tara VanFlower lie like fog.

The vocals are also kept very simple: very fine, tender and intimate. With Mike, the vocals are more breathy (he might like to show a little more of his vocal sound!). Really nice melodies (mostly “ahh” backing melodies) very clearly sung and with a very authentic, natural sounding voice from Tara. The two voices are really well combined.

The whole album seems to be from one single source: a defined, very meditative mood, with a lot of space and an overall dark-melancholic spirit. Everything is coordinated, partially almost a bit monotonous, mostly calm and with generally little mood and sound contrasts, but with atmospheric-distorted and milky-foggy soundscapes, which definately has its charm. The sounds are very well chosen for all instruments and well-coordinated!

If there's one thing I miss about this album, it's the strong contrasts and tensions. Everything follows everything. Sometimes I really wanted at least a few more powerful sounds to be set in the compositions. The individual instruments and synth sounds could - at least in phases - be played more independently and take up a little more leeway. In this regard, I particularly like “Rewrite” because the bass here is strikingly more present than usual, which is really good! Or “25 Years”, in which the vocals of Mike and Tara are set a little stronger. In addition, this song has more metallic, penetrating sounds (somehow bell-like) coupled with more massive drums. Such elements fit perfectly and do not detract from the overall meditative mood.

Most of the pieces sound like they were played or sung through fog, very atmospheric and in places almost romantic-beautiful, in a somber way - obscure and dreamy (pieces like "She", "Mist", "34 Palms", "Late Night Solitude”, “Autumn Into Winter”). Songs like “A Failure” or “Mist” are a more rhythmic. I find songs such as “In Flicker”, “The Path”, “She” and “Rewrite” particularly well done, because they are very defined and original, with all the musical peculiarities of LYCIA. “The Path” is extremely atmospheric and expressive and my personal favorite (great drum programming!).

A wonderful album! Especially for those special bitter-sweet, melancholic, dreamy moments when you want to immerse your soul in dark and gloomy moods.

Personal listening tip: “The Path”

What went through my head spontaneously: it could be exciting if there was a collaboration between LYCIA and the thereminist and singer Dorit Chrysler - at least for one song. I have the impression that they would fit together extremely well.

The trio called MATA, consisting of Alessandro Bracalente (Electronics, Guitar, Vocals), Emanuele Sagripanti (Drums, Electronics), Mauro Mezzabotta (Bass, Synth) created a raw, dark and aggressive eight tracks album, impressively recorded/mixed by Manuel Kopf and mastered by Eraldo Bernocchi. It has a length of 40 minutes, sticking with a very conclusive artistic/compositional concept and a defined, crystal clear overall sound throughout the whole record.
"Archipel{o}gos" is MATA’s second release (October 4, 2019), following their first EP named "ATAM" (2017). The musical language and expression of the trio, which was introduced with the EP, got even more concretised, much harsher and darker in style and more international in communication (from Italian to English chant).

If Sepultura’s album "Roots" could be translated into industrial/electronic/noise rock music, "Archipel{o}gos" could be its match in regards of harsh spirit, raw power and percussive intensity.

Skillfully and artistically composed, arranged and produced, with a strong emphasis on drum sounds and rhythms. The bass drum – partially acoustic, partially electronic – is placed as the centerpiece of the album: carefully sound processed and delicately sustained by electro-percussive sound constructions and noise, and rounded-off with sparse, yet all the more piercing and cleverly put vocal parts, low hums and distorted guitars.
The trio set stark contrasts throughout the whole album (for example: compare "A Maltitude" with "What’s your Cover?"): from rampant energies such as big earthshaking bass drum stomps and strong distortions to the finest particles of sound such as fragile and minimal pulses, noises, chirps and hisses – everything is carefully put in order and well-defined in sound. Not to forget other tracks such as "M&D", "Underwater", "In The Pool" and "The Block" which unite these contrasts and dynamics as compositional entities.

Sometimes, I felt like listening to some kind of percussive "Mandelbrot Fractal Zoom" melting into an electronic soundscape extravaganza, then again it felt like being catapulted into a hammering steel machine which is creating some kind of strong, tribal drum tremors.
The musicians and engineers put so much love for details into drum sounds and into the sound production that it deserves a 5-star rating from my side. The devil always lies in the details, and it's obvious that they all put a lot of focus on exactly those. This takes time, passion and dedication and the result is truly impressive.

Introducing the album with "Message no.1" and to exit it with "Message no. 29" was a smart move to get to the heart of the album's content from the start and to top it off with an extra shot of raw, dark brutality. My tip for a first listen to catch an impression of the album’s spirit: "A Multitude".

“Ecstatic astonishment…” these words, found in the lyrics of the third track called “Splattering Purple”, perfectly describe my reaction to this album.

“Flying Stag” is some kind of a thrash metal rooted songwriter's album – stripped down to drums, guitars and voice. It’s loaded with catchy guitar riffs and odd meters, there’s even a decent touch of djent and industrial here and there, with some kind of punk attitude in the mix.

It doesn’t surprise, since Daniele Brusaschetto started off as a thrash and death metal musician in the 80ies. In the 90ies he took new creative paths and played in bands such as Whip (industrial), Mudcake (noise rock) and Down! (avant-garde/impro). With “Flying Stag” he goes back to his metal roots – with 90ies metal guitar sounds, versatile playing, catchy riffs and short solos. The drummer, Alberto “Mono” Marietta, is doing a truly impressive performance through the whole record - with an absolutely great drum sound! Almost modest in his playing (thereby giving a lot of space to the voice and the guitar) – always supportive, a very solid and straight forward drumming.

From the very first heavy riffs of the first song “Otherwhere” this album totally kicks ass! This track, 5 minutes long, takes interesting twists and turns in regards of structure. I would like to highlight here, that I absolutely loved the vocals on this track. It reminded me a bit of a Marilyn Manson kind of singing, paired with the the non-chalantly, charmingly snotty attitude of a rebellious, young Joe Strummer (The Clash), and yet, the singing is also soulful at the same time. This singing style took me by total surprise – in the best way possible – because it makes this record sound really personal - like a songwriter’s album - which gives a creative contrast to the heavy intensity performed on the guitars and drums.
This contrast gets even more emphasized on the second song “Stag Beetle”, especially in the mid-part of the song, when Daniele takes his voice to the higher register: it almost sounds like Peter Hammill singing metal. This is a wonderful momentum and I think, Daniele could do this more often!
The intro of “Splattering Purple” sounds like a metal tango dance between guitar and drums and then it totally leaps forward into the heaviness of oldschool metal as we heard it on the tracks before, but with different stylistics. This tracks also introduces Daniele’s growling skills.
“Splattering Purple” is followed by the very intense and creative “The Unreal Skyline”, which is my personal favourite track on this record. There are moments on this song which remind me a bit of the first record of Stone Sour. This track is really dark and rich in sound.
“Like When It’s Raining Outside” is the longest track on the record (7:36 minutes), a very interesting, colourful song – revealing the arranging skills of Daniele. Then comes the maybe heaviest and angriest song of them all, called “Fanculo Mondo”, featuring Daniele’s maybe thrashiest guitar playing and also a lot more of his growl skills. The last track “From a Tight Angle” summarizes the “peculiar metal nostalgia”, as I would describe this record, into one big final crescendo before “Flying Stags” leaves its listener in the aftershock of an “ecstatic astonishment”.

“Flying Stag” is a bold album, skilfully played, but never ostentatious. Total headbang-material, oldschool metal and punk spirit with unconventional songwriting – a combination which makes this record so astonishing and almost, as I mentioned it before, a bit peculiar. At the same time, “Flying Stag” is a very honest and personal album of a versatile musician, who already walked a long journey of many different stylistic paths in music, and who is courageous and mature enough - as a songwriter as well as a guitarist - to insert experience and skills without bragging – and yet, without understatement either. His own musical language is balanced, rich and always present through all seven tracks. The album is very saturated in sound and ideas, but it never sounds like “too much”. And best of it all: it absolutely NEVER gets boring! It’s an album I loved to listen from the beginning to the end, four times in a row. The only thing I missed sometimes was the depths in the sound spectrum, due to the absence of bass, I guess – but maybe it’s also just my listening habits and my personal love for low frequencies.
I am sure, the musicians had a lot of fun playing this music, this is obvious and a pleasure to hear. A big compliment from my side to the two musicians, Daniele Brusaschetto and Alberto “Mono” Marietta, who involve the listeners with their attention and curiosity from the beginning to the end. Absolutely recommended!