Onirocriticon
Dedali Opera, 2021
8/10
The sophomore album from France’s Seetton, Onirocriticon brings us several compositions inspired by authors, as well as a soundtrack to a film by Gilles Dabeuf, and it’s all delivered with a very precise and enthralling electronic template.
“Incubatio” starts the listen with 13+ minutes of ominous atmosphere as waves of minimal electronic sounds unfold in a way that could soundtrack a sci-fi movie, and “Oneiro I : Phobétor” follows with a 1 minute blast of eerie ambience.
“The White Rabbit” lands in the middle and brings in an intense buzzing that nearly sounds mechanical, as the setting turns more calm with bare percussive noises amid a darker undercurrent that tips its hat to Lewis Carroll, while “Caroline” burns with a faint pulse of twinkling electronica and strategic attention to mood that soundtracks the film A la lisiére.
Deeper still, “Bianca” spends nearly 5 minutes mesmerizing us with its careful and mysterious landscape that takes influence from Bruno Schulz, and “Excito” exits the listen with an often barely detectable execution of electronic manipulation that’s quite effective in its gentleness.
A very creative endeavor, Seetton turns these songs into a refined art form, and the unpredictable and exploratory nature of the environment makes a lasting impression.
Travels well with: Sally Decker- In The Tender Dream; Pulsar Ensemble- Bizarre City