- Alex Kassian's latest EP infuses the pathos of trance and progressive into synth pop song structures.
- The first time I saw Alex Kassian DJ was last summer during the 4 to 8 AM shift at Panorama Bar. As sun was peeking through the shutters, the music he played was melodic and bright, but also surprisingly restrained, falling into a hazy euphoria somewhere between '90s Italian dream house and full-on Goa trance. Kassian brings the same sort of light touch to his production. He's a sucker for a trance synth, sure, but he's influenced as much by early Eye Q and Platipus records as the synth pop, ambient, and video game soundtracks he grew up with in Japan. (Exhibit A here.) This balance creates a delicate tension on his latest EP, Voices, where Kassian takes the emotional building blocks of trance and makes a soundtrack for his own imaginary RPG.
Voices is taken up mainly by three different mixes of the title track, featuring vocalist Thibaut Knapp, and each operates on a totally different level. Kassian eases into the "Jenova Mix" holding the kick drum back until the three-minute mark, instead washing the stereo spectrum in panning string crescendos and gated chord progressions. Outside of an opening set, it's hard to imagine a track this airy and spacious in a club, instead reminding me of Nathan Micay's like-minded soundscapes. Only the drum-heavy "Materia Mix" seems designed for dance floor use, the highs and mids are dialed back as Kassian locks into a tech house groove with even the vocal turning into a percussive accent.
All three versions of "Voices," though, pale in comparison to "Lifestream." Bubbling aquatic arpeggios and lapping hand drums build with wonder before he drops a YMO-style chord progression that's so hi-def it feels tactile. It's a striking and dramatic finish to an EP that shows Kassian's musicality away from the dance floor.
Lista de títulosA1 Voices (Jenova Mix)
A2 Voices (Swarm Mix)
B1 Voices (Materia Mix)
B2 Lifestream