I, Synthesist >
Art of Survival
$12.98 | CD add to cartThe music of I, Synthesist (composer/producer Chris Ianuzzi) is indeed a coherent whole that blends the past and present in electronic music. The sound is complex and multi-layered; the songs are classic and accessible. You can call it Electropop: it doesn’t take an MFA in composition to enjoy. If the future is a trend worth following, I,Synthesist, is right on-trend for his second full-length release, The Art of Survival. The name is fitting: Through the trendy and the trivial, art survives. Reaching beyond the well-loved synth-pop sound of his first album, Avalanche, The Art of Survival takes a broader dive into modern music. There is a powerful electronic union of persistent beats and thought-full lyrics laced together into memory-sticking melodies and enveloping orchestrations. In the studio and at live performances, Ianuzzi uses classic analog synthesizers as well as cutting-edge digital technologies and tools to – sometimes literally – get his hands on the sonic DNA upon which each song is constructed. Ianuzzi is a sophisticated composer; This album showcases this ability without abandoning his synth-pop sensibility – which is no mean feat. There’s music for your head and music to move it to. From the ball bearing ruminations of the title track to the 20-minute ambient landscape of “The Overlook,” these are the contrasts that set the music of I,Synthesist free from any narrowly-defined genre. “Time Machine” is an instantly winning classic, simultaneously electro and balladesque. A killer bassline and the chunky, blocky scrape of a synth glock move the track forward, tumbling it through the whirl of the percussion storm, adding to the thickening mix with each funked-up spin. “Telepathy” slowly rockets into a dance-floor fireworks show. “Anthems” is definitely a departure for I,Synthesist, speaking to ghosts both sonic and human. Profound and simple, it’s another example of this album’s cerebral appeal – at once enigmatic and compelling.
Genre: Electro Pop Synthpop