One of the most prolific artists on this site, it's slightly amazing that I haven't reviewed one of syn.terra's releases yet. Well, that changes today with Kharybdis, a five-track jazz fusion EP that's dripping with atmosphere and constantly surprises with its choice of sounds.
The first moments of opening track, Dopamind, feel like something that wouldn't feel out of place in an early 2000s sci-fi action movie with its slow rhythmic build into one of the dirtiest sounding synths to grace this earth. What strikes me about this piece is how good it sounds. The production is excellent, and every instrument makes space for each other. It locks into a groove so effortlessly, and it's a really exciting and dynamic listen.
For all the bombast of that opening track, things mellow out a lot for the mid-section of the EP. When The Gods Dissolve has an almost new-age flavour to it, where The Neverlife seems to takes its inspiration from traditional East Asian music. I would say the latter is the only point in the album where things didn't grab me quite as much, but it's still solid.
Wormcake sits between these two, and there's something really playful and fun about it. It's a slow groove, but it's got a sneakiness to it, almost like The Pink Panther or something, or more recently, the Persona 5 soundtrack. The use of brass synths on this track, and across the whole album really, is great. It gives the album a real sense of personality without ever sounding cheap or like they were supposed to be real trumpets. That said, I would love to hear this EP performed by a full band.
The closing track Cephalapod Maelstrom brings back the bombast in a big and bold way. Where you could hear a slight metal influence on Dopamind, on Cephalapod it's very up front and overt. It would almost be cheesy if it wasn't so cool and confident. The piano playing is fantastic, and there's a bit where there's a guitar solo where I kept flip-flopping on whether it was a real guitar or a synth, it certainly seemed played in a very piano-esque manner, but either way, it rips.
Overall I'm really impressed with the EP. I think syn.terra is obviously a very talented musician and composer, but the thing that really gets me is how sure of itself this music is. It takes big swings confidently and they pay off more often than not, so it's pretty easy to recommend this!
