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6/10/2019

Stavros Gasparatos – Rage Park (2019)




  • Post-classical 
  • Piano music 
  • Glitchtronica 
  • Crossover 
  • Micronoise 
  • Avant-garde 
  • Experimentalism 
  • Modern classical 
  • Electro-acoustic 
  • Contemporary classical 
  • Art music 
  • Ambient

Comment: Patras, Greece-based Stavros Gasparatos (born in 1975) has been tightly related to music as a composer, sound engineer, arranger, producer for decades. His 7-track outing Rage Park is an organic, "logical" yet exuberant mix of blistering and soothing sounds, traditional and modern sonic approaches. More profoundly, the whole body is based on a mindset of classical music (in turn based on brisk orchestrations and artsy piano sequences) which is interfered with or split into noises, glitched-out electronics, vivid drones, open space electro-acoustic effects, rare overdriven synth flutters and full-fledged beatific ambient and classical music mixed soundscapes if to name most of them. At times it reminds somehow of Penguin Cafe Orchestra by its mental grid and ideological grasp though technically Gasparatos' sound is more kindred to Eluvium, Tim Hecker, Hauschka, Stars Of The Lid, Max Richter. Indeed, wide panning and freely blossoming mood is the obvious reason for comparisons to be drawn with the mastermind of Simon Jeffes-led combo. Let's call it excellent breathing or combustion of the album. Given that as a compatriot of the artist said more than 2500 years ago that something could exist/begin existing within the borders only – in the case one can enjoy music which make drifts within the borders of contemporary/modern classical to a bit beyond the limits of it yet preserving its blissful face and dynamic nature effortlessly. In a word, it is a truly astounding output worth to be remembered within lists of the best albums in 2019. I am going to remember. Thank you, Stavros.