Chaos Islands
Self-Released, 2020
8/10
One of the earliest artists in the area of electronic music, France’s Zanov put out 3 albums between 1977 and 1983, and then resumed his craft in 2014 with a revamped synth sound. Chaos Islands, his 6th album, takes us on an unpredictable, emotive and innovative journey that’s often on the cusp of chaos.
“Edge Of Chaos Island” opens the listen with a mysterious, cinematic quality that soars with complicated keys and buzzing synth, and “Inception Island” follows with a firm ambient appeal as hypnotic and even soothing song craft unfolds with warmth and sci-fi nods.
In the middle, “Three Body Island” floats with a dreamy quality that flirts with New Age sensibilities, while “Phase Space Island” certainly gets other worldly in its electronic manipulation of mood and tension.
“Instability Island” arrives late in the listen, and recruits an ominous approach of precisely layered skill, and “Emergence Island” finishes the listen with no shortage of prog-rock , where more emphasis on drumming lends itself to being the record’s best.
Zanov was clearly ahead of his time, and his current work resides comfortably in the today’s version of electronica that’s capable of being meditative, might score a film, and certainly is progressive, exploratory and unique.
Travels well with: Methods- Anything; Fair Visions- A Way Out