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Architect’s Eye
Decline
~reviewed by Mike
Ventarola
A few short years ago, Jean Paul Braghin was part of the Goth band Fallen Tears, which did rather well in the Goth circles, particularly in their home country of Italy. However, as with all things, time marches on. The muse by which one is driven frequently undergoes a similar transition, and those astute to her calling, know to listen. This call of the muse led Braghin to form a new band, Architect’s Eye, with a strong penchant and leaning in the Gothic darkness but with a decidedly more industrial flair.
Despite the industrial overtones, one can hear the morose elements throughout each track. Many bands in the industrial genre seem to shy away with many of the sounds and elements more conducive to the “spooky” goth crowd. Braghin didn’t see the necessity for changing something that worked well, so he set about to extrapolate and expand on sounds while being distinctly more creative than most of their US counterparts. Just as with Fallen Tears, some tracks here can also be classified as seductive. Whether this is intentional or simply a gift of Braghin is still unclear. Nevertheless, while most dark music retains the elements of forlorn introspection, Braghin and company manage to frequently create music that can at times be utilized to enhance the nocturnal activities of the listener.
"Fracture" ominously introduces a macabre jungle beat. The guitars veer off into an intense hell raising brandishment. The only downside to this track was that the vocals were quite buried under the music and difficult to discern.
"Cold Heaven" has an intro that demarcates the song name implicitly. White noise is tweaked to sound like a cold and barren spatial void. The gradual buildup takes us musically to another place and time, one that is ageless yet devoid of any sense of comfort.
"Expiry Date" darkly shimmers with a seductive trip hop groove. The delightful echo effect resonates like a ripple on the sonic ocean. Here, the vocals are a bit more up front but decidedly delivered in a sotto voce style to add a further sense of the forbidden. Midway through the song, an electronic voice with a deeper resonance comes to the forefront just prior to the guitar buildup. Quite frankly, if ever there was a song specifically designed as a soundtrack for vampires making love, this track would be it.
"Unsafe" has bass notes in the intro that also join with a steady beat which then segues into a piano and drum melange. Old school goths would appreciate the cadence and flow of this track as it is a step below goth rock but a step above being shoegazer.
"Insignificance" is the track that will most likely find its way into the playlist of many industrial style clubs. There is a definite steady electronic beat jointly married to goth industrial elements. It has just the right essence of harshness for the rivetheads seeking something with a bit of a bite.
"Still" continues with an old school Goth rock style with an added industrial backing. This is rather unique because up till now, very few have actually taken the standard drumbeats from the early Goth rock tracks and married it so well with industrial music. Initially it is quite odd to hear this type of a hybrid, yet it works rather well.
"Lux" begins with a distinct sound that is reminiscent of an early dawning in England. The gentle piano melodies curl compressed vocals in a decidedly more somber and slow tempo track. The elements of goth spookiness, industrial style compressed vocals woven between a jazz rhythm is quite interesting.
"Spine" is very conducive with the metallic sound effects that one is accustomed to during the fast action sequences during action films. This track would work as a game soundtrack, film soundtrack as well as a club feature.
"Shelter" delivered an intro that was similar to a room full of anxiously waiting ghosts, ready to lunge out at the observer. This perceptual feeling was segued into a mid-tempo beat that danced around the ominously delivered compressed vocals.
"Shel"l provided an imaginary conch shell effect with the intro notes that were similar to same. The forlorn piano and percussive elements took this track a few notches down, thrusting it into a twilight melange on some forgotten beach somewhere in the world.
"Separation Anxiety" with simple low toned bells and chimes, managed to create an element of the macabre through chasm like sounds. The sounds seemed to come alive like malleable metal. This then veered into an orchestration of rather intensely crafted vocals, tones and notes, giving rise to a rather ominous presence in our midst.
Architect’s Eye simply blurred the lines between goth, industrial and darkwave. The featured tracks managed to utilize the best that each genre offered to create music that is discernibly morose, and at times chilling. The two complaints that I do have is that the lyrics were not included, and that every track was done in a sotto voce compressed style. Considering the style of this work, the whispered/compressed affect may have been essential for the overall flow of the work. Still, when one hears something this melancholy, a variety of vocal intonations would clearly discern the tracks from each other more memorably.
As far as atmospherics, Architect’s Eye is up there with bands such as Lycia and Midnight Syndicate. Layers upon layers of intricate detail is carefully calculated and inserted, giving an almost unpredictable feel for the work. Some of these tracks are clearly workable for film or game soundtracks, while yet others can be utilized for the club scene.
In light of the “disco goth” that is currently in fashion, hearing this style is a great respite for ears that have been longing for the old school macabre elements that have simply been leaking too far away from the scene. Goth purists as well as fans of darkwave will feel right at home with this music, because it is anything but dance pop. Even with the added percussive elements, you never feel as though you are listening to something that was created and aimed for the “mass market.” If you are seeking out something where you can just kick back and relax and unwind, Decline is an optional choice because in spite of the complexities, it isn’t unapproachable.
Tracks:
1. Fracture
2. Cold Heaven
3. Expiry Date
4. Unsafe
5. Insignificance
6. Still
7. Lux
8. Spine
9. Shelter
10. Shell
11. Separation Anxiety
Website: www.architectseye.com
Sound samples: www.darkcelldigitalmusic.net
and also at www.mp3.com/architectseye
08/01/02