Biomass — Electrozali

Biomass is a solo project of Panos Kyveleas an Italian who for the last three years has lived in Athens. This is his third release and is on Greek label Low Impedance Recordings.

The main gripe I have with this is that as with a number of other albums I’ve recently reviewed he seems to be stumbling around and searching for the direction he wants to go in. This is fine if it’s your first album but by the third, and what is traditionally regarded, as the difficult album, you should know where you’re heading. No not even know where you’re heading, you should already have arrived there.

The album begins with “You Must Log In To Do That,” a track with its feet firmly planted in Pan Sonic’s garden. Analogue sounding oscillators, throbs and hums all very much sounding like someone has listened to Pan Sonic’s “A” quite a bit. There is the addition of some vocals here and there but not really enough to make it sound that different to its influences.

Track two “Altamura” is built up around a tribal sounding drum rhythm and mournful violin sound with some clicks and glitches thrown in for good measure. 

Following closely behind is “Near End” which sort of develops from where “Altamura” left of. Tribal drum sounds again, plus acoustic instruments (violin possibly plus a few other things) and a few vocal samples. Whilst it’s perfectly listenable it doesn’t really give the impression of something that a lot of imagination has been put into. I’m sure Panos would vehemently disagree with me here but it just comes across as a bit like music by numbers.

“Esilio 99” is more or less “Altamura” without the tribal drums. Once again we get a mournful sounding violin sort of instrument with some crackles and glitches thrown in.
When we get to track 6 “Credit” we are back in Pan Sonic’s backyard. Though to be fair it’s probably the best track since the first one. Again clicks, throbs, hums and some slow minimal drum beats. It’s minimal techno done perfectly well, just lacking a bit in its own personality.

The final track “Overlution,” is off into another genre. I guess you’d call it ambient. A synth drone with what sounds like someone hitting a metal pipe with a hammer covered with a pillow and more of the obligatory crackles.

This is a disappointing album really. Lacking in direction and being too much in homage to its influences. Not something I feel I could recommend as a worthwhile purchase