Sysyphe - Running Up that Hill

Running Up that Hill, the debut album of French musician and producer Sysyphe aka Philip Contamin, provides a mesmerizing mystical experience that revives echoes from the beautiful psychedelic ambient of the end of the 90s and early beginning of the 2000s. Philip is not reinventing the genre, but he's certainly refreshing psybient in an enticing individual way. What we have here is an enigmatic composition that unfolds slowly and vacuums the listener into another world. Philip weaves spellbinding atmospheres with his synth and guitar textures that flow so well inside a hazy tapestry of shimmering pads, fat warm basslines, weird noises and delightful, smooth deep and crisp beats. All of this is occasionally spiced with lovely oriental, Middle Eastern type percussion and mysterious chants, and gently soaked in a piquant organic raw dubby shade just in the right places. Sit back and let the magic of this wonderful night tale take over. . .

Recomendation:  A story telling quality and a tasteful psychedelic touch make this album quite addictive. It's a real psybient pearl with a very distinctive sound and style. What attracted me at the beginning and caused me to check this album out was the artwork that in some way really implies on the magical and mystical mood of the album. So, getting beautiful artwork on top of the good music is always a nice extra. It's really great to chill out with this album at home, but also outdoors in nature. All the tracks here are excellent. Go buy it, you won't regret it.