WL//WH Review VIOLET NOX

photo by Sasha Pedro
Violet Nox, the Ambient/Electronic/Psych induced sound explorers from Boston, Massachusetts, drop their seventh album “Hesperia”, to stir the soul and rouse the body with a tension and release of transformative frequencies.
On the 6-track LP, Dez DeCarlo (synthesis and effects) and Andrew Abrahamson (synthesis, clocked machines) build rare and immersive Experimental Electronic backdrops behind the stirring soulful organic vocals of Noell Dorsey (vocals and lyrics) to transport the listener into a fascinating retro-futuristic universe where timeless archetypes enlighten change.
The first track, inspired by the Hindu sun god and chariot driver “Aruna”, uses a heavy arrangement of penetrating and oppressive tones, ranging from dull obsessive kick pulses to warm harsh blowing synth swathes and windy cinematic gusts to open the mind as beautiful, soulful vocals invite listeners into the darkness to begin a journey of self-discovery. It was also visualized by the Argentinian musician and video artist Alejandro Silva under the Del Siervo moniker, using acid washed sacred geometry mandalas with prismatic colors to focus attention and shift perception toward the insightful visages of the soundtrack
The title track, “Hesperia”, loosens up a bit with some icy tinkling melodies and soaring frequencies amid a hopeful message about flying above the wind in search of those left behind, whilst “Umbrae” delves into deep and dubby unfamiliar domains, rife with echo and delay, building a lush yet buzz-edged floating space.
About halfway through, the sci-fi atmospheric instrumental “Zero Point” injects a cold, techno-primal mood over a stretched ground of ceaseless soft pattering kicks, where inhuman, distorted vocoder voices break through a merciless, sizzling and resounding ambience full of impenetrable disquiet, with a bleak distress call.
Cloaked in a sinuous haze, “One Sixty” unfurls calm at first through all-encompassing sentient swirls and warm orchestral swathes cradling soft blissful vocals with calm comfort. Then, at the 2:30 mark, metallic lashes crack through, bringing in a tension of anxious obsessive pulses and harsh melancholic strains before a painful transformation and release.
The trance-inducing “Stranger” brings an airy lightness and a nostalgic cosmic beat-driven energy to the finale using colorful fluting whistles, a sullen meandering bass line, and dramatic keyed melodies, to compliment layers of celestial, uninhibited, and vulnerable human emotions with a hopeful feeling that things can change.
Esoteric lyrics about the timeless human condition blend seamlessly with thoughtful and encompassing sound arrangements to complement Dorsey’s evocative delivery with colorful emotional space and texture for the listener to explore and sink in wholeheartedly.
Violet Nox‘s new 7th album “Hesperia”, is out now on limited CD & Digital, via Somewherecold Records and Aumega Project.
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