Emptinesses

Kiev based Sentimony Records offers this compilation with some known, and other lesser known artists of downtempo and ambient music. The label’s mission to release music of talented artists (mainly from Ukraine) is represented here by its second compilation. The album comes in a nifty digipack, with lovely cover art by Reis Mit Scheis (quirky name that).
The music here is really a pleasant surprise. With a lot of labels focusing on ‘talent’, it often becomes apparent that talent is hard to find. Not so with this compilation. Tracks like Over the Depth by Sphingida (T2) make you wonder why these artists are not featured on more compilations. Unstable Elements, a better known artist in the scene, offers two explorations, both of which are quite excellent, though my preference goes to the second of the two, Emotions (T3), which is more focused, has a bit more depth and transports you to that lovely state of semi dreaming. Harax and Zymosis turn up the notch a bit with more psychedelic infused pieces of art. Flamberg (T4) reminds me of Voice of the Universe by Aquascape & Skydan, which was the standout track on the Air compilation for me. While it doesn’t attain the same level of quality, it still is a little bomb shell in its own right. Zymosis’ Strange Emotions (T5) confirms his status as an up-and-comer of the scene. A brooding piece of music, there is something about Zymosis’ work that greatly appeals to me. The combination of ideas and execution is very well balanced. Lovely stuff!
However, the second half of the compilation is a bit of a mixed bag. While Harax’s Aessone (T7) is a decent 4x4 downbeat work and Ice Age (T8) has its moments, the rest seems rather uninspired. Heinali’s Eye of the Storm is hectic and doesn’t sit right with me. Protos (T10), while having some nice percussive programming, is rather dull and doesn’t really go anywhere. Road to the East makes you wonder where that road leads exactly. Atmik’s The day after Tomorrow that closes the compilation has a shade of the quality of the first half of the compilation, though it doesn’t fully restore its glory. While it’s enjoyable as a whole, it’s not particularly memorable. It’s airy, even whispy, and as such blows by effortlessly and without really leaving a lasting impression.

Recomendation:  All in all the compilation is a bit of a mixed bag. The quality is in the first half of the compilation. Unstable Elements, Harax and Zymosis offer the standout tracks here, with an honorary mention of Sphingida’s Over the Depth. These four tracks are what carries the compilation, and as such might be a bit thin for a twelve track record. However, these tracks are excellent, especially Zymosis’ and Harax’s pieces have earned a steady place in my playlists. It’s a shame the level of quality couldn’t be maintained on the second half of the disc.