Greek instrumentalists Arrakis formed back in 2012 and are firm believers in tripping through the endless musical universe via the medium of music. Regularly posting demos and jams online for all to hear, this psychedelic orientated stoner-doom band consists of the usual power trio format; Guitar, Bass and Drums. Loaded with all the gear and effects needed to help give their music a mind-bending kick, Panagiotis, Iraklis and Vangelis appear to have been digging in deep for this release and with the name of the release and several track names all derived and associated with Ontology, the philosophical study of ‘being’, it looks like there is a concept to the theme of their music. Add in the fact that this is also tagged with ‘Volume1’, this hints at it being the start of a larger series of works as opposed to someone trying to be clever, so let’s begin.
If you are trying to find a theme for this release, without lyrics to explain some things it is difficult, but a potential starting point is the song titles. Many people say that visiting Tokyo is a surreal experience given how vibrant the city is and the culture you can experience there, which you can attribute to the title; “A Night In Tokyo”. “Dream Explained” could relate to the experiences of visiting Tokyo and the following tracks, “Animan” (the plural form for ‘of the soul/spirit/mind), “Misophonia” (Hatred of sounds, sound-emotion synthesia), “Pareidolia” (The condition which sees people attributing human characteristics to objects and landscapes, most commonly faces) and “Hypothalamus” (The region of the brain involved in autonomous functions, hormone production and regulation of internal systems). It all links up on this front and the way I see it, the album is the musical description of a very surreal and mind-opening experience which strikes deep into the human psyche and the effects it has on the recipient. I could be well off the mark with this, and it is merely me trying to attribute a concept to something which might not even have a concept or theme and the song titles could merely be selected at random!
With the momentary philosophical analysis of a potential concept aside, musically, “Technontology Vol.1” is best described as Desert Rock, Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa all sitting around a room, tripping balls and bouncing ideas off each other and then seeing what sticks. Erratic and angular sequences litter the release with plenty of pace behind them, giving the music an upbeat feel and a very energetic tempo. Gratuitous use of fuzz, wah, flanger and chorus effects soaked in delay and reverb give the guitars their sound, the bass goes between thick and harsh fuzz to clear cut and the drums have a very intense feel to them with plenty of cymbal clashes and hi-hat usage.
There is a massive emphasis on the rhythm section for how the album is delivered. The bass and drums really push this release on whilst the guitar interjects with stabs of chords and with flowing lead melodies which seemingly follow their own agenda, paradoxically staying both in and out of time with the song and the other instruments. Twisting sequences, pick scrapes, lazy and floating bends and held notes seem to form the lead voice of the release whilst stabs and tight riffs which mirror some of the basslines make up the gritty desert rock vibe sound and add a little more weight.
Track wise, aside from the guitar element which seems to follow its own path, it is fairly simple. Several repeating sections make up the bulk of each track whether it is one of the 6+ minute ones or one of the 8+ minute ones. The main variances come from how the guitar works; does it mirror the nimble bassline? Does it compliment the furious pace with some chunky chords? Does it go off on a smooth sounding, spiralling tangent you would find on a Zappa or Beefheart record? It seems that without the guitar being given a free role in order to express itself, this would be a fairly unremarkable musical experience. The whole mind-bending aspect seems to stem from the ability of the guitar to do its own thing, helped along by the constant chattering of cymbals and hi-hat clashes. If the guitar was a little more conventional, it would be a fairly bland affair, so that is one good aspect of this release.
What detracts from this release is that all the tracks sound extremely familiar rhythmically, almost to the point of the band seeming to have a set formula they wished to follow and stuck with it, clearly signposting what was happening and where it would happen. The guitar sections, whilst showing an impressive display of proficiency, seem overly exaggerated and don’t really feel as organic as they could do. Whilst a surreal edge is helpful in psychedelica and certain circles of stoner/doom, it usually works when it is more organic as opposed to forced on you which appears to be the case on this release. Add in the fact that the tracks seem to blend into the background easily if you aren’t totally focused on it, it is fairly easy to lose track of where you actually are on this musical journey.
In all, as far as psychedelic instrumentals go, “Technontology Vol.1” is acceptable. I’ve heard worse and I’ve definitely heard and experienced better. “Hypothalamus” is the standout track of the release, but apart from that, there isn’t much else you can really focus on. The Zappa-esque leads do help keep the music firmly planted on the space cadet side of stoner/doom/psych and the overall effect of the album does work as it is an experience of sorts, but it’s just middle of the road music to hit a bong to.
(5/10 Fraggle)
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