Gabriel Prokofiev — Dark Lights

Dark Lights is an angularly wavering mix of orchestral music, modular synth, 808 beat-craft, with a general warped/ skewed feel. This is a CD release on Nonclassical, from early this year.

The CD comes presented in a fold-out six-panel mini gatefold; on the outside we have fitting, visually warped/ glitched photographs of the pieces being performed, and inside a two-page write-up about the release, and a page worth of credits listing the release's many contributors.

Gabriel Prokofiev is a Russo-British composer, producer, DJ, and founder of the Nonclassical record label and nightclub. He’s been active since the late 90s. largely focused on creating collusion between classical music & electronica.

This CD take in a total of eleven tracks. We open with “Soft Sorb”, and it’s slightly melted- yet-harmonic darting strings & keys, which are topped off with Windows 95 open-screen keyboards and hissing/ icy synth tones. “d-infulnced” melds steadily tolling piano keys, off-angular orchestration pump ‘n’ string swoon, and steadily warping electro treatments.

Later on, we have the galloping beat pitter-patter, darting piano, and off-kilter orchestral pomp of “Zginer”. And the skittering beats, sudden cut-up tones, and warbling orchestration darts/ simmers of “Green March (Nicholas Thayer Remix)”.

Dark Lights offers up a warped and angular crossover between classical and electronic music, which is often unpredictable/ unbalancing in its attack.