VALERY SIVER AND

KIRYLL TREPAKOV

Midway

Electroshock Records (2003)

reviewed by Bill Binkelman

From the Electroshock Records label in Russia comes what is, in my opinion, the first must-have album of the year. It's also the early leader for the top chill-out/ambient recording of 2003. Midway unites the assorted guitars (acoustic and electric) of Valery Siver with the electronics and beats of Kiryll Trepakov and the result is, well, fuckin' brilliant. Imagine locking Pat Metheny, Bruce BecVar and Aphex Twin (from his SAW II days) in a room with the command to "Play nice together!" and you may get some idea of the delights this CD holds. However, in this case, the whole is infinitely more rewarding than sum of any similar parts, such as the ones I just wrote above.

Veering from smooth as chromium chill-ambient, cushioned by liquid synths and anchored with glitch beats, to sparkly warm new age tunes, to mysterious shadowy synth soundscapes, the tracks on Midway are unified by some of the most innovative integrating of assorted guitars with electronics and beats I've heard in, well, maybe forever. Like I wrote above, fuckin' brilliant!

Opening with the strumming of a guitar mixed with foreboding undercurrents of percussive effects and minor key synths on "N-tro" Midway starts to really gel on "Stress" where the tasty and catchy glitch beats are first introduced. Swirling synths and skip/glitch rhythms coalesce around plaintive acoustic guitar with a slight Spanish courtyard flavor. "Hot Wind" is the first Bruce BecVar-tinted song, as mellow guitar flits over synth strings, a butterfly-winged flute sample, and twinkling bells - charming is too understated a word, and when midtempo beats are gradually folded into the mix, a grin of sheer delight will come on your face, I'd wager.

Midway is, simply, an amazing album and there is plenty of variety to be heard, although everything here is either nicely chilled or flavored with just the right amount of new age beauty to sound sweet without being cloying or syrupy. "Dansing" has a bit of a progressive sound to it with sweeping keyboards and a moderate amount of "rocking" sound to the guitar work, eventually bringing classic English prog bands of the '70s to mind (what with analog synths and a slight renaissance-era sound to the guitar at times). "Dreams" sounds like it came from BecVar's Forever Blue Sky, although the synth work is much more adventurous which gives this "pretty" song a welcome slight edge. Pat Metheny fans will enjoy "Head on a Laps" which features delicate minimal guitar, played in a semi-jazzy style (although still considerably laid-back in feel and tempo) along with a wooden flute sample that sure reminds me of the artistic touches Lyle Mays added to Metheny's work on, e.g., the early tracks off of that guitarist's album Off Ramp.

Not everything is sweet and light here, of course; sometimes the chill-out is laced with a bit of mystery or darkness, especially on later tracks, such as "Mentors Shadow" with its smoky-dark drones, radio signal distortion and sparse guitar, or the ambient noir meets EM of "The Way" led by mournful synth choruses and, later, chugging synth rhythms (including what sounds like a saw being waved back and forth); or the SF-meets-cyber-lounge textures of "Thirty Seconds."

Besides being what is almost assuredly the most accessible release ever from Electroshock, Midway is also one of its most entertaining recordings. Each song is like a multifaceted jewel that, as the listener rotates it in his/her hand, reveals some new aspect of its beauty. Hats off to Siver and Trepakov on delivering a recording so full of unexpected surprises and musical wonder; and kudos to Artemiy Artemiev of Electroshock for releasing this fantastic album which earns my highest recommendation.