CD Reviews

S Y Z Y G Y X - Fading Bodies

October 2019

Negative Gain / Cold Transmission

S Y Z Y G Y X are darkening our souls with the "Fading Bodies".

There are times that when you press the play button to listen to a new album, you think you know what it will sound like. S Y Z Y G Y X's "Fading Bodies" is a proof that this should not be the case. The US based duo are making their sound even darker. Using really haunting melodies, with some dark vocals and a kind of a dark psycho pop tunes while balancing to industrial and synthwave.

S Y Z Y G Y X is a dark wave, dark electro duo from Washington DC consisting of Luna Blanc and Josh Clark. Josh and Luna are my retro punk heroes. And they are, not only with their style but, and most of all, with their music soundscapes. Josh has an extensive background in electronic music and Audio Engineering, formerly known as DJ Impulse, he used to make music with Sinthetix/Corrupt Souls in the Drum N Bass genre. Luna has always experimented with keyboards, and music composition from a young age, but pursued photography, writing and film in College. "Fading Bodies" is an album that both of the band members have worked together in everything. They're always taking turns on everything in their sound: vocals, arps, riffs, bass, drums, pads, the production/engineering of the different aspects of their sound. There is nothing in the process of making music that one does more than the other.

Starting with "Burn (Intro)" there is beat that is synchronized with my heartbeat and my eagerness to listen to this album, again and again! Instrumental intro creating the appropriate mood for the rest of the album! "Hold Tight" comes next and there is that synth lines that the duo use, that are really unique. Luna starts whispering the lyrics in a hypnotic way, including these little screams to bring you back from the dark ambience they have already create.

"Immerse In Doom" reminds me a kind of some old school industrial with this intro. Luna's voice is even more haunting and somewhere near the first minute an intense rhythm comes in front with this bass and synths drive us in doom. "Die Like A Rockstar" is in quite higher tempo, moving to more electro pop lines. Synth melodies and a slightly changed voice from Luna dropping her lines in that dark pop way.

"Fragile, Handle With Care" is a dark electro piece with some perpetual synth elements, going along with these industrial beats and drums. Luna's voice is getting better and better. So dark, building all these cold ambience. "Planet X" starts with a synth melody making you believe that this is not going to be as dark as the previous ones. The modulations to the synths and the minimalistic way they use them, makes the sound of the duo really special. 

"Ultra Doll" haunted my nights from the first time I listened to "Fading Bodies". This is the industrial dark punk sound of S Y Z Y G Y X. Heavy beats all along in a high tempo, changes in percussion, all of them hitting you right in the head. Melodic in some parts, powerful in the next moment and with some dark emotional voice of Luna. "Lost In Paradise" has these melody that makes feeling lost in darkness. Imagine that you are the only one dancing on a dark rhythm in a dark, full of smoke, dancefloor. Mid to low tempo with some psychedelic vocal effects.

"Last Night" is pulling you to dance once again. Amazing electro synth line and, attractive vocals from Luna. "Dangerous Creature" is even more cold, with a psycho-dark expression in some moment and in the way the synths are fitting into these strong beats. "Endless Daggers" is a different moment in the album. Josh takes over the vocals and he does in a dark manner but mostly reminds of an old school industrial artists. And, I believe, that is the case with this song. It is so new, old school industrial. 

"Times Are Hard For Dreamers" is a mixture of pure US industrial influences and a melody that, for a moment, brings the image of Anne Clark. "Play with Fire" has the small touch of Josh's past music projects. Using synth elements that could come from a techy, drum'n'bass arrangement, with this sense in the beats, as well. Luna takes these influences and fills them with her hypnotic, dark feelings. "Pins and Needles" have this retro sense in the sound but still a unique dark tune with both Luna and Josh in vocals. Closing track is "Fury (Outro)", a melodic dark electro song,ending this concept album leaving a dark and cold ambience.

"Fading Bodies" is so strangely unique and addictive. There is a feeling that S Y Z G Y X write in their own dark field of creation. Josh and Luna are, so perfectly, fulfilling each other, in many aspects. The chemistry between the duo is obvious as soon as you push the play button. A form of dark electro, that is not seen often and as I said earlier, those two people are carrying this retro punk attitude, which is perfectly expressed in their music and in "Fading Bodies"!

 

Info:

​https://www.syzygyxmusic.com/

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https://www.instagram.com/syzygyx_music/

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